


In His Shell

by amycoolz, SylviaW1991



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bottom Lance (Voltron), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, First Time, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Orphan Lance (Voltron), Racism, Top Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:54:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 110,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22425142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amycoolz/pseuds/amycoolz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylviaW1991/pseuds/SylviaW1991
Summary: After losing his family to tragedy and growing up in foster care, Lance really thought adoption would be the best thing in his life. Instead, it's been one facet of control after another. College, he hopes, might finally be the escape he needs. As long as his new roommate and his math tutor are nice, maybe he'll be okay.--Keith's junior year starts the same as any other until he gets a call from a freshman who can't string a sentence together without stuttering. He doesn't have anyone else to tutor yet, so he accepts easily. The guy sounds terrified, so why not? But it's not just math that's got him stuttering, and Keith's going to do everything he can to help.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 334
Kudos: 837





	1. Chapter 1

For his eighteenth birthday, Lance had hesitantly asked for contact lenses. He liked his bright blue eyes and wanted people to see them without thick lenses in the way. He wanted something to make him seem less like a geek and more like someone people would actually want to talk to. He'd instead gotten a new pair of frames. The lenses were even bigger, but he didn't cry over them or the six new sweater vests.

He didn't get upset when his big present was the news that his parents had applied for a college on his behalf, this one only an hour away. Everywhere else he'd applied to had been several states away from their prying eyes and he'd gotten accepted to several of them and had been so excited to have some freedom. His hands shook a little when he was cheerfully told that he would absolutely be attending this one so he could come home whenever he wanted and so that they could check in on him whenever they wanted, but he smiled. Their cheer was safer than their anger and his perceived ingratitude would surely result in that. 

He thanked them quietly and spent that night crying into a pillow. They hadn't even gotten him a cake, but that wasn't a surprise. Even though they'd asked him what kind he wanted - chocolate, please - he hadn't at all been taken aback when a single slice of carrot cake bought from a local supermarket had been set in front of him. It was the same thing every year. 

At least, it had been that way for the last eight. His first two birthdays, though he couldn't remember them, had been spent with family. Two parents and four older siblings. He had their picture on his dresser in a frame that had to be taped together, the glass long since broken and their names a nearly forgotten whisper. Behind the picture was a news article that spoke of a sole survivor of a devastating wreck, a toddler who had been rushed to the hospital after a drunk had swerved into their minivan and sent it spiraling. 

Lance didn't remember the accident or the surgeries to relieve brain swelling, but knew his skull wasn't all bone and his vision would never be twenty-twenty. He had a small limp thanks to a damaged knee that became more pronounced after every gym class and a love for swimming that was rarely accommodated. This school had a pool, though. And dorms. He was really excited to have a dorm room. Hopefully he'd share with someone who wouldn't only see a quiet geek when he walked down the hall, someone to push into lockers or tease for not even being that smart. 

Sometimes he missed the foster system. There had been fear in not knowing where you'd spend your next night, but it had at least allowed for some individuality. He'd been able to wear jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts instead of slacks, loafers, and sweater-vests. It had been the uniform he'd been given the day he'd come home with the people who'd refused to let him keep his last name. And if he'd thought that once he outgrew the lame clothes in his closet they'd buy him things more suited to _him_ , he'd been very wrong. They'd adopted him to carry on _their_ name and _their_ vision. Nearing fifty, he'd been their last chance and he'd been a disappointment. 

Frankly, Lance didn't _want_ to go into his adopted family's accounting company. He didn't _want_ to punch numbers every day when all they did was give him headaches. He'd never been good at math, two grades behind it when he'd been adopted. Strict rules and stringent tutoring had brought him up to speed, but the numbers still swam in front of his eyes without meaning sometimes. He didn't want to spend his life with them. 

He'd very carefully applied to colleges that had law degrees, hoping to quietly shift his major without telling them and just have an extra math class here and there to keep them unaware. He could lie easily states away, but an hour? He was eighteen now, yeah, but he'd never held a job and was sure they'd sabotage any attempts he made to get one. They paid his phone bill and were going to pay for his schooling. The first semester, according to the birthday gift he'd received, had already been paid for and his classes assigned. They had access to his school portal and his school email. They'd placed him in Accounting I and Lance cried hardest about that. Adulthood should've meant freedom. Day one was proving it meant nothing of the sort. 

The next two weeks weren't any better. His parents rejected three fun-sounding roommates before settling on an engineering major named Hank Garrett. A geek, Lance was sure, though stunned by his massive frame when he finally arrived at their room. He'd taken the front half to be closer to the door, already decorated. He was setting books on shelves when Lance and his adopted parents walked in, but stood and held out a massive hand for Lance to nervously shake. Lance had been blessed with height, but he was what many had less-than-affectionately referred to as a string bean. This guy was big.

His adopted mother nudged Lance away from him and quickly set about emptying Lance's boxes, huffing all the while about wanting the front half of the room. Lance was fine with the back. He'd liked that the desk was under a window but the woman just complained about windows being distractions and saying again and again that he'd better do his studying in the library. They'd already signed him up for tutoring anyway. The math department had recommended Keith Kogane, a junior that year, and his adopted parents had been thrilled to have an older Asian boy handling him. 

It was racist, but his adoptive mother was also muttering about Hank's dark skin under her breath. Was he half-black? Polynesian? What was _he_ doing with a name like Hank? Interested in engineering, ha. 

Lance ignored her, silently putting things away just for her to come behind him and rearrange things to her exacting desires. It made him feel closed in and he needed his inhaler before they'd finished two boxes. 

It wasn't until much later, after they'd finally left because they weren't allowed - no matter how loudly his adopted mother screeched - to stay in the dorms overnight, that Lance discovered "Hank" was actually Hunk and it was a nickname. The school had listed him incorrectly. And engineering was a minor. _Cooking_ was his major. Lance begged him not to correct his adopted parents and could hardly believe his luck. Hunk wasn't a geek. He was an incredibly big, nice, half-black guy with two younger siblings and family who owned a restaurant, and he gave Lance the first hug he could remember getting in _years_ after finding out just how he'd come to be adopted by pale racists while he himself was a naturally tanned Cuban. 

Maybe this college wouldn't be so bad. 

\----

Three weeks into the semester, Lance was torn. This college was part dream and part nightmare. The school wasn't giving his mother access to every little detail of Lance's classes, which meant she had come up to the offices of every professor more than once. In private, Lance could only apologize and beg them not to tell her anything. He wanted to drop the impossible accounting class, had yet to call the tutor his adopted parents wanted him to see, and his stress levels were through the roof. 

Hunk was a bright spot. The best friend Lance had ever had already. When his mother had taken his swimsuit right out from under his nose so he wouldn't get any ideas about lazing around in the pool, Hunk had taken him to a store to get him one. When his mother had called him while at that store, screaming so loud Hunk could hear every word, he'd helped Lance figure out how to change the GPS tracker on his phone. It was set to have Lance at the library every time they went to the store and it was finally a taste of freedom. Lance even got to have a slice of chocolate cake and Hunk promised to actually bake him one soon when Lance cried over it. 

There were more tears when he failed an accounting test. The F stared hard at him and, well, he couldn't hide his grades when they still had access to his portal. They showed up at the dorm that very night, both of them backing him into the corner of his room while Hunk was in his afternoon class. He'd had to call Keith that very moment, his adopted father's fingers tight around his arm. He put him on speaker. 

"Hi, is this Keith K-Kogane? Math tutor?" 

"Mm, yeah, this is him. Who's this?" 

"Lance..." He didn't want to say their last name. He'd been introducing himself as Lance McClain at every opportunity. "I, uh, I was supposed to call you a while ago and set up lessons. The math department head recommended you." A tight squeeze on the arm. Get to the point. "What days do you have available? I've got classes eight to three every day, so anything besides that or..." 

"Weekends are fine," Keith replied. "Saturdays would be best."

The grip was so tight now he knew he'd be wearing long sleeves for a few days. Lance swallowed. "Perfect. What time? A-and where should I meet you?" 

"How about the library? There are a few rooms they have designated for tutoring. You just let me know when you're available."

"A-anytime." He would've begged him to just pick a slot if he could do it without them hearing. But they were right there, his mother watching with pursed lips and cold eyes and his father's grip too tight and his eyes resigned. He did what she wanted always and so, then, did Lance. 

"Okay… How about nine?" 

"Great. Perfect. I'll- I'll see you Saturday. Is this your cell phone? I can just text you when I'm there."

"Yeah, it's my cell. I'll see you on Saturday, then."

"Okay. Thanks. I- Bye, Keith."

He hung up before another word could be said, sitting quietly while he was berated for his rudeness and for not calling sooner. How was he ever going to be able to be an accountant in this family if he didn't get his act together? 

They were still there when Hunk returned, Lance still sitting quietly at his desk, unable to move until the door opened and someone was finally able to intervene. His mother's smile was instant, bright and cheerful, so happy to see Hank and how were his engineering classes going? And, oh, she'd just appreciate so much if he would be willing to tell her if Lance wasn't going to his tutoring sessions. She passed Hunk her number and he agreed, though it was tossed into the trash the second they left and, before he could even say something to Lance, his roommate vanished into the bathroom to shower. 

He didn't want to talk about it. 

\----

Saturday came too soon, as far as Lance was concerned. He had a migraine as soon as his eyes opened, taking some medicine and his inhaler with a bottle of water. He crept out before Hunk awoke, his mother already texting him even though it was barely eight. He needed to beat Keith there, never mind that the library was two buildings away from his dorm. She'd designed it like that, after all, selecting his rooms based on library proximity because what could possibly be more important? The gym was across campus, which meant the pool was too. He knew, though would never say, that was on purpose too. 

He put his GPS at the library, but pushed into the café and stumbled right into someone. He looked up, eyes miserable and bleary behind his lenses, and froze. The guy before him was _gorgeous_. Dark hair in need of a cut framed his face, curling ever so slightly. His eyes were like jewels, pretty amethysts shining under arched brows. One of them had a piercing and when he opened his mouth to speak, there was another right in his tongue. 

Lance's body instantly felt like it was on fire, face heating up in particular because he'd _said something_ and Lance had no idea what. He stepped back, clinging to his accounting textbook, shoulders hunching. "S-sorry. I wasn't watching- I'm s-sorry."

Keith was too amused to be annoyed, smiling slyly. The other man clearly hadn't heard him, the stutter as cute as the man himself and all too familiar. "You're fine."

He wished he was suave enough to have a response ready, wished he was confident enough to say it. Maybe he would've been. Maybe he had been as a kid, but now? He swallowed nervously and gestured vaguely towards the front. "A-are you in line?" 

"Mmhm, but I'm still trying to decide what I want. So if you know, you can go ahead."

Lance rocked back on his heels. He always ordered the same thing, but was pretty sure the pumpkin spice latte with almond milk would get him laughed at. "Um... Okay." He carefully shuffled ahead of him, trying not to make his staring too obvious because he even had a low, stubby ponytail and it was _doing_ things to him that his adopted parents would likely freak out about. He'd been explicitly told that he'd be marrying an appropriate woman, end of story. Bisexuality was made up by liberal media, blah blah blah. The guy was hot and Lance wanted him. The fingerless gloves too. Wow. 

Keith's smile shifted into a smirk as he watched him. "I don't know if it changes anything, but their PSLs are really good here."

 _Oh_. Lance bit his lip, averting his gaze. "That's- I know. I'm b-basic."

"Not with that cute stutter. I don't believe it." 

Lance ducked his head, hoping to hide the blush warming his cheeks. Oh, no, he was _smooth_. And maybe even flirting with him a little bit. "It's n-not really... _cute_."

"Yes it is… Lance."

He paused, blinking twice. He knew for a fact he'd never met this man before. "I... How did you...?" 

"Was that not you I spoke to on the phone the other day? I could swear you are by that stutter of yours."

Lance took a step back, eyes wide. _No_. " _You're_ Keith?" 

"That's what's on my birth certificate," Keith joked, smirking. 

Lance could've had a heart attack. If either parent ever saw him... "You're a math tutor."

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?" 

"D-depends, I guess." _He_ probably looked more like a math tutor than Keith did and the thought of having to tell this gorgeous person why he was bad at math was going to give him an anxiety attack and then he'd need his inhaler and his wildly running thoughts kept his mouth going before he could stop him. "You're kinda- you're really hot for a math tutor."

Keith laughed. "Well, thanks for that. Can't say I was expecting to hear that today."

Lance pushed his glasses up to hide his face in one hand, absolutely mortified. "I... Y-you're welcome."

Keith smiled, reaching out to gently make him lower his hand. "Come on, don't hide that blush. It's adorable."

Unused to being touched, Lance jerked in place a little but nervously left his hand in Keith's. "S-sorry."

Keith nearly pulled away, but Lance hadn't yanked his hand back, so just gently held onto him. "You don't have to apologize." He waved on another customer who'd come in behind them. "Are you okay?" 

"Y-yeah. I'm- I'm just an idiot." Lance offered a shy smile. "I'm just n-not used to people touching me."

"That doesn't make you an idiot, Lance, and I'll let go if this is making you uncomfortable."

He wanted contact, craved it really, but they'd just met. He slipped his hand from Keith's and let his smile warm. "Um. I think I'm, like, distracting y-you from your drink order."

"Nah, I'm gonna get a PSL. I always come in here thinking I'll get something different, but I keep going back to it."

Lance nodded, hugging his book close to his chest as he stepped back to actually take his place in line. "I'll get something different during the winter. When peppermint mocha comes out."

"Ooh, you're right. Peppermint mocha is always good."

Lance had to giggle, though muffled the sound against his hand. "I'm glad I'm getting tutored by someone who has good taste in coffee."

Keith grinned, pulling out his wallet. "Would that have been a deal-breaker?" 

"No, I don't have a choice." Blunt honesty had always been a problem for him, something he was always guarding against when with his adopted parents. But they weren't there and he was free to just talk. "My last tutor hated it and called it brewer's yeast. She'd tell on me if I came to a session with coffee, so I'd usually get one after she left."

"That sucks. But why don't you have a choice?" 

"The math department picked you and Marcia agreed."

"Marcia?" 

“My...” He hated calling her mom. “She adopted me.”

" _Oh_. Okay. Well, I'll try my best to help you, then. We wouldn't want to disappoint Marcia."

As long as Keith literally never met her, everything would be fine. Because, even beyond his looks, Keith seemed way better than his last tutor. Lance could actually talk to him without being afraid that everything would go straight back to her. “Don’t worry. I already do.”

"Hmm. Well, maybe we can turn that around?" 

"M-maybe." Lance's smile didn't reach his eyes, so he turned to the cashier. "Hi. I'd like a- a medium, iced pumpkin spice latte with almond milk. Please."

Keith took his card out and passed it to the barista. "I'll take the same, and his is on me."

"Oh, no, K-Keith-" 

"Mm-mm. It's not a problem, really. Trust me."

There were exactly four wrinkled dollars in his wallet and his mother would throw a fit if she saw a café charge on there, so Keith was really just ensuring he'd have enough to get a coffee another day. He bit his lip, but nodded. "O-okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Keith paid quickly and moved them both down to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks. "So… accounting?" 

"Mmhm. I... I failed the first test, so Marcia and her husband are mad." He watched the barista move about, competently and mysteriously mixing and blending ingredients. "I've always been bad at math, so they wanted me to call you at the beginning of the semester."

"And because you're finally out on your own, you rebelled and didn't, right?" Keith teased.

 _Yes_. Lance fidgeted with his book, not looking at him. "I j-just..."

"No, no, I get it. If my parents were as strict as that, I wouldn't have called either. I'll just have to tutor the hell out of you and help you get your grades up."

"It's just the accounting one. I'm good at the rest."

Keith smiled. "Not a math geek, huh?" 

"Mm-mm. It's... It's extra hard for me."

"Well, that's what I'm here for. I'm more than happy to help out."

Lance didn't really want the help, though. He didn't want to _be_ in the class, but he was trapped now. It was passed the withdrawal date. If he dropped it now, his GPA would take a hit and he couldn't imagine what would happen. "Th-thank you, Keith."

"Mmhm, it's no problem."

It probably would be once Keith learned just what his problem was. He wasn't the kind of simple student he was likely used to. Lance tucked his book under an arm when their drinks were called, taking his and stabbing the straw in greedily before taking just as greedy a sip. He hummed around it, soft and easily pleased, and gave Keith his first real, bright smile. "This is always so good."

Keith could only stare for a moment, taken aback by just how beautiful Lance was when he wasn't trying to hold anything back. "Yeah, it is," he agreed, taking a sip of his own. "I've never had anything here I didn't like."

"I've only had this." Lance dropped his gaze, wondering what had made Keith look at him like that. "Y-you're a junior, though? So you've probably been here a lot." 

"Mmhm," he confirmed, disappointed that Lance had reverted back to that adorable shyness. "Every day for two years. Going for a third."

Lance giggled. "So you're addicted."

God, that laugh was cute. "Maybe a little."

Smiling at him, Lance gestured to the door. "Do you want to head to the library? I don't even know if drinks are allowed there but I know Marcia's gonna call me at nine on the dot to see if you're there."

"Well, drinks aren't really allowed, but my friend is working the desk today and doesn't care."

Lance nodded. "Okay. And you said there are rooms for tutoring anyway so..." Oh, whoa, they'd be alone. How in the world was he supposed to concentrate on _math_? 

"Yeah, they're on the second floor. I reserved one for two hours." Keith smiled as they reached the door, holding it open for Lance. "I wasn't sure how long you'd want to go, so I played it safe."

"I'm sorry. I would've told you more, but I don't like to talk on the phone when they're around me and they get logs of all my texts every month."

"'They?'" 

"Oh. Um. My adopted parents. So please don't send me anything too nice over text. I don't want them to think we're friends. I- I want to keep talking to you. Please."

"Fuck, seriously? They're _that_ strict and overbearing?" 

Embarrassed, Lance looked down at his drink and took a sip as they walked. "Y-yeah. There's an app on my phone that shows them where I am a-and how l-long I use apps and most everything is pretty restricted."

"But… You're eighteen, right? Why the hell are they still doing that to you?" 

"They... They don't l-like my choices yet, I guess. I- I don't know."

"That's fucked up."

Lance knew that. He wasn't an idiot. He knew their controlling behavior was wrong and dangerous, but he didn't have a way to escape. Restricting his phone when they paid for it wasn't illegal. "Mmhm."

Keith shook his head. He wished he could help Lance. He had the means, of course, but not necessarily the permission. "Fucked up…" he muttered. "What if you got a burner phone?" 

Lance smiled slightly. "I'd need a job and I'm not allowed. You need a license to get one anyway and I..." His smile fell with his volume. "I d-don't have one."

"Wow." Seeing Lance's face fall even more, Keith nudged him with an elbow. "Your parents sound… intense. Maybe I could help?" 

"N-no, that's okay. You j-just met me."

That was true, but damn, if Keith didn't want to help him out. He'd just have to keep tutoring him and befriend him so Lance would be comfortable with accepting at least a little help. "Okay. Well, let's get to the library, then. It's almost nine."

"Mmhm. My roommate showed me- He hacked the program and they can't see where I am anymore. Well, I mean, they can. But I can change the location whenever I want, so it's already at the library. So when she calls, I'm with you anyway."

"Yeah, okay. Sounds good."

"Yeah, he's really cool. Marcia gave him her phone number and he just- He threw it away. If it wasn't too late to change roommates, I think she'd make me. But I don't want to and college is already way better than high school. She can't just- Every time she calls the school, they can't tell her stuff about me. She hates it." 

"Wait, she _calls_ here to check up on you? What the fuck?"

"Yeah, she did during high and middle school too. But my approved friends always told on me no matter what anyway, so she didn't do it as much. I don't have anyone here who'll tell on me." He chatted so happily - so _casually_ \- about something that should've been completely normal that it spoke volumes about the way he'd been raised since the adoption. 

"That… That's crazy. Does she really not trust you?" 

"No. They wanted a white baby, but I was ten and Cuban. I still speak Spanish, but please don't tell them."

"At this point, I don't ever want to even talk to them."

"You'll have to. She'll want progress reports. She'll give you the rules when she calls."

"Jesus… Okay. I'd really like to keep talking to you too, so I'll go with her dumb rules." 

"Thanks. I like having friends." Lance smiled at him, the big and bright one again. "Don't tell her about your piercings."

"I shudder to think about what she might do if I ever did," Keith teased, returning the smile. He hoped to see more of it, to see Lance's bright blue eyes glow with that happiness. 

A giggle joined the smile, this time not muffled. "You're kind of a smart-ass too, so be careful. Please. If she doesn't think you're professional, she'll fire you."

" _Ugh_ , she sounds like literally the worst person on earth."

Lance bit his lip, some of the sparkle fading. Whether she was or not, she'd still adopted him out of foster care. She'd still clothed and fed him and now she was providing his schooling. "She just... She asks for a lot."

Keith hummed, nodding solemnly. "I guess I'm just not used to a parent like that."

Sometimes, Lance wasn't sure if he was used to it either. Sometimes, he wasn't even sure if no parents was better than these two. He didn't say either of them. He hadn't known Keith long enough. He didn't even know if Keith was going to hold strong against whatever bribe his adopted mother had in mind. So he carefully - very clumsily - shifted the conversation back to math and, not two minutes after they were seated in a tutoring room, he answered his phone mid-sentence like a programmed robot. 

"Hi. Yes, we're at the l-library. He was on time. He's dressed appropriately f-for tutoring. Mmhm. N-no, I can't take a picture. You disabled my camera and then m-made Henry - _asked_. You asked Henry- I'm s-sorry." Her volume rose, calm questioning turning into audible claims that she didn't _make_ people do things and what did he think she was, some kind of mind-controlling witch? Lance just held the phone a little further away from his ear and hid his face in his hand even after the volume lowered and she asked a calmer question. "Y-you can talk to him. He's r-right here." Lance looked up, eyes so very dull. "Here, Keith. My m-mother wants to speak to you b-before we get started."

"No problem." Keith took the phone from him and held it up to his ear, allowing his voice to slip into something professionally sweet. "Hello, this is Keith Kogane."

"Wonderful. It's so nice to have a good Asian boy tutoring Lance. He needs a firm hand and I expect you already have a strict schedule in mind. He'll need more than one day a week, of course. He refuses to think of numbers unless someone forces him. His last tutor saw him two days a week and I expect twice that for college. His career is on the line, you understand. Now which four days can I expect Lance to be with you?"

Keith rolled his eyes, mouthing the words _holy shit_ at Lance before smiling and responding. "Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday," he answered easily. "Two hours a session."

"Excellent. What times did you have in mind? He knows better than to join any time-wasting clubs. They were necessary for high school, but no longer. He'll be available any time after three."

Of course he would be. "Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays will be four to six, Saturdays nine to eleven," he replied confidently, even though he was pulling the information from his ass. 

"Lovely. I'll expect summaries of every lesson emailed to be on Sundays then. Lance will provide my email address." And, sure enough, he was already writing it down. He knew too well what she was discussing. "I'll also expect a phone call each time you notice Lance doing something... untoward. We did not invite him into our family so he could disgrace it, after all. Family's important to you Asians. You understand. Of course, you'll be paid a lovely bonus for each of these... discretions."

He didn't need a "bonus," but he wasn't about to argue with the racist woman. "Of course. I'll email you a report every Sunday by noon."

"Wonderful. Now Lance does have a checkbook and the math department head was kind enough to provide your rates. He'll give you your check every Monday, provided your reports are up to standard."

"Of course," he repeated, miming to Lance that she was just blabbering on. "I'm happy to help him."

Lance smothered a giggle, but the brightness had returned to his eyes. His adopted mother, oblivious, continued on. "I should hope so. Our family has more than enough wealth to fund your little education _and_ his. My husband and I expect the best. Now it's currently six minutes after. We'll be taking this phone call out of your paid hours. If you had arrived early, this could have been taken care of beforehand. You know how to make the money back, of course. And do behave yourself. College children are often unruly, but your professor told us you were not a fraternity member and had no disciplinary issues on your record. Should either of those change, I expect to be notified immediately so that alternate arrangements can be made."

Keith rolled his eyes again. "Of course, but I don't expect them to."

"Nor do I. You will make Lance top priority. My son dreams of being a respectable accountant and I want those to come to fruition. Are we clear?" 

"Crystal," he replied cheekily. He had a feeling none of what she'd just said was at all true. "Lance will be my top priority."

"Excellent. Now I expect my first report tomorrow morning so I can be sure you know what you're doing. Goodbye."

"Mmhm, bye." Keith hung up and passed the phone back over before leaning back in his chair as he blew out a breath. "Jesus, how did you live with that?" 

"I..." The blunt answer was probably the best one. "She adopted me. And runaways go to juvie."

And they were obviously paying for his schooling and everything else. Keith nodded, offering a soft, encouraging smile. "Well, at least you're here and have a _little_ more freedom."

"Mmhm. I'm trying to figure out how to change my major without her knowing. She set up everything, so she has all the passwords. It's the only reason she knew I failed my test."

"That's annoying," he muttered. "What are you trying to change your major to?" 

"Well, I've done a lot of digging into social services jobs and I think the way to make the most difference is to be a lawyer, but their whole family are accountants going back, like, tons of generations." He was different, talking about something that mattered. More focused and in the moment, hands moving while he talked and expressions animated. "So that's why they adopted me. They wanted me to keep it going, but I can't read numbers like they can. The acalculia gives me a headache since it takes me a minute to identify numbers. So it's not a field I want to be in for a _career_."

Keith's eyebrows rose. Acalculia was nearly the same thing as discalculia, except it's not something a person is born with like discalculia. It occurs as a result of brain damage, and Keith wanted to know more, but he didn't want to pry. "Yeah, I get that. Math is really the only thing I do actually know, so I'll try to help you understand the best I can. I'm a pretty patient guy."

"I'll probably need that. My last tutor hated it and... I mean, my adoptive parents think I just need to focus more. I'm diagnosed by an actual doctor and she won't- She didn't take any of the paperwork to student services so I c-can't even get help because there's no p-proof that I need it."

"Now _that's_ fucked up. At least you came to the right person."

Lance huffed. "Only because the department head suggested you and your name was Asian. I'm sorry for whatever she said about Asians on the phone, by the way."

"Oh, just that we're all good at math and that family is important to us. Which, I mean, it is. But whatever. I grew up in Texas, I've heard my fair share of racist comments."

"I'm still sorry. Even good stereotypes are stereotypes."

Keith shrugged. "You don't have to apologize for her, Lance, but I appreciate it."

He did, though, if only because no one had ever done him the same courtesy. He wasn't even allowed to play with dominoes since that was a "Cuban way to waste time." Lance opened his textbook, swallowing the last of his coffee. "You're welcome. And I can't drop the class now, so... I do genuinely need help."

"Of course," Keith agreed, scooching closer. "What are you working on right now?" 

Seconds ticked by, Lance biting his lip. "I... I don't know," he admitted, pulling out his test from the pages. "I have notes. I just can't- I can't put the numbers together."

Keith nodded, though seeing the big red F at the top of the test paper made his heart clench. He never liked seeing anyone failing, and it just made him want to help Lance even more now. "That's okay. We'll start slow and make sure you can understand before we move on."

"Okay." Lance rustled the paper, even now just not understanding what the squiggles meant. He could read the instructions fine, but he only knew the top question had a "1" beside it because he knew it was the first on the page. The digit itself meant nothing to him and, oh, he missed having the numbers written out for him on tests. "Just... Will you promise not to think I'm stupid? I'm really not. I just..."

"Lance, I don't think you're stupid. Having acalculia is nothing to be ashamed of." Keith laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "I don't know what you went through that caused you to develop it, but I promise you I'll help you work through it. Okay?" 

Hope stirred, lighting his eyes. Keith knew what it was without having to be asked, so he must've had some experience with people like him. He'd understand. He nodded, lips quirking. "Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

There was just something different about Keith. Lance couldn't put his finger on it, but every single tutoring session over the next two weeks just made everything better. He didn't know it, but Hunk did. Just the mention of his name put stars in those blue eyes and, while accounting was still an extremely difficult class, it wasn't putting him into nearly as many panic attacks as it had been that first month. It was a relief for his roommate, honestly, and it was nice to have a chance to meet him when they were all free one Sunday afternoon and Lance had nervously asked Keith to bring a friend to their room to play board games and eat dinner.

He was still nervous, cleaning his glasses too many times and looking at his watch as if ten seconds would really make a difference. "I think you'll like him. I hope you like him. I hope his friend likes me. What if they don't? Will he stop being _my_ friend? Why did I ask him to bring a friend? Hunk..."

"Just breathe, Lance. Everything's going to be okay."

He wrung his hands together, checked his watch once again, and gasped when a short knock sounded at their door. He scrambled to it, beating Hunk easily, and swung it open with a bright smile. "Keith!" he greeted. "Hi. You found it."

Keith smiled back, nodding. "Yes, your directions were very specific."

When Hunk laughed, Lance's cheeks pinkened. "I- I just wanted to make sure you didn't get lost."

Keith chuckled. "Well, I definitely didn't get lost, so thanks."

Lance sent Hunk a quick look, sticking his tongue out, before turning his attention to the second person at the door. This one, he recognized from the library and it was a relief. "Hi, Pidge."

"Hey, Lance. Thanks for having us over."

"It was all Hunk's idea. His class had a huge cookout thing and there were a bunch of leftovers." He opened the door wider, ushering them in, and felt an urge he was starting to get used to: he wanted to touch Keith. Just reach out and hold his sleeve, his hand, wherever he was welcome. He hadn't really expected the urge when they were around other people, but there it was. He didn't think he'd get any contact, though. When they studied together, he lived for the moments where Keith would lay a hand on his shoulder or touch the back of his hand to get his attention. Sometimes, he'd leave it there and Lance's heart would gallop in his chest.

Kind of like it was right at that moment, though this was because he'd missed whatever Keith had just said to him. That amused smirk had quirked his lips and color flooded Lance's face. "S-sorry, what?" 

"I said 'nice room.'" And it was, for a freshman dorm room. Keith could clearly tell which side was Lance's, but didn't comment on the fact that there were no personal touches. "You're cute when you get all flustered."

Calling him cute wasn't helping that. All of Keith's compliments threw him off and he was simply too inexperienced to know how to respond. He couldn't even say for sure if Keith was seriously flirting with him or just... extra nice. "Thank you. For the- For the room thing."

"'For the room thing,'" he teased lightly, reaching out to gently squeeze his shoulder. "Where do you want us to sit?" 

Lance would've happily had Keith sit on his bed, blush deepening at the thought. "W-we have the two desk chairs, but Hunk got some folding chairs when he got the card table."

"It's small enough to fit in here if we move my desk a little," Hunk explained. "I should go check on the food, though. I'm using the community kitchen to heat it up. Pidge, do you want to come with me?" 

She glanced at Keith and Lance, a smirk slowly curving her lips. "Yup. Let's go."

Lance blinked, surprised by their departure. He hadn't known Hunk needed help but... Not that he wasn't unhappy about a few moments alone with Keith. When the door closed behind them, he smiled. "I really am glad you came. I don't really see you unless we're studying."

"I know." Keith inched closer, letting his hand brush down Lance's arm to his wrist. "I'm really glad you invited me."

Lance looked down, heart racing as Keith's fingers neared his. This was flirting. This had to be flirting. The super hot badass was flirting with him. "Holy crow," he whispered. "Um. I, um... A-anytime."

Keith smiled, rubbing his thumb along the back of Lance's hand. " _Any_ time?" 

There was something in there, something a little more wicked maybe. Lance bit his lip, looking up. "I-I don't think H-Hunk would like that, but... I wouldn't m-mind."

"Hmm, well, maybe you could come to my place sometime."

Lance blew out a slow breath, carefully tangling their fingers. "F-for what?" 

Keith's smile widened, squeezing gently. "For whatever. I have my own place on the edge of campus. We could have dinner and watch a movie or something."

He could be brave. He could be brave. He could be- "L-like a date?" 

"Mmhm, if you want."

Well, _obviously_. Lance just gave him a quietly confused, mildly distressed look. What he wanted was clear. But Keith had to be interested in him too, right? Bravery evaporated. "D-do you... D-do... W-well..."

"If you're trying to ask me if I want it to be a date, the answer is yes," Keith murmured, lifting their joined hands to press a soft kiss to the back of Lance's. 

Holy crow. His hand seemed to tingle where Keith's lips brushed, eyes wide behind his lenses. "M-me too," he admitted. 

"Good. Then we'll plan it whenever you're available."

"I-I mean... You know my schedule. I have class and... And y-you."

"Friday, then. I'll make you dinner, so pick your favorite food."

Lance shook his head, smile soft as his nerves faded into quiet excitement. He had a date. A first date. "I d-don't know if you can make garlic knots."

Keith chuckled, giving a small shrug. "I'll figure out how. You'll get your garlic knots."

"Okay. I... I can't think of anything else right now. I've n-never..." It was embarrassing, but he was pretty sure it was obvious. What little Keith knew about his upbringing should say this. "I've never been on a d-date."

"Then I'll just have to make it the best first date ever."

"O-okay. I think you will. I like being around you." Something he could say with full confidence. 

"I really like being around you too. And I'll eventually break you out of this shell of yours," he teased, kissing his hand again. 

"You think you'll still like me?" 

"You're adorable and sweet and nerdy. Pretty sure I'd like whatever's underneath, too."

Lance giggled, holding his hand a little more confidently. "I guess we'll see."

Keith grinned. "I guess we will."

When the door opened, Lance jumped in place and stepped closer to Keith, cheeks burning when he saw it was just Hunk and Pidge returning. Hunk looked at their hands, grin broad and eyes sparkling playfully when his gaze lifted. "Pidge and I thought we'd given you guys enough time alone."

"Mmhm, plenty of time."

"How about it, Lance?" 

He hid his face in his hand, embarrassed excitement rattling through him. "It's- I get him eight hours a w-week. I c-can probably share him."

"Share me, hm? You don't want to keep me all for yourself?" 

Lance pressed his face to Keith's shoulder, but was smiling. "M-maybe I do."

Keith hummed, squeezing his hand. "I'd be okay with that."

So would Lance, but he kept that quiet. It seemed very fast to have sentiments like that. They'd known each other a few weeks and that was more than enough for a first date, but the rest? He honestly didn't know what the rest entailed. It wasn't as if he could ask his adopted parents. Marcia would lose her mind. Not only was Keith Asian, not only did he have piercings and tattoos, he was a _man_. He'd be yanked away from this school so fast, his head would spin and they'd place him in the community college, keeping him inside and telling all their friends he was studying abroad. It was sad that he'd have to keep Keith a secret from them, but he'd do everything he could to stay. He had two friends - one of which was maybe a boyfriend - and a possibility for a third if Pidge liked him and he already liked her. He wanted to stay and was slowly pecking his way out of the shell Keith said he was in. 

"Hunk was gonna teach me how to play Uno. Can we- Is that okay?" 

"Definitely," Keith agreed easily. "I like Uno."

Hunk smiled, getting a pack of cards down from a shelf littered with some obviously new board games. He even had to break the seal on the Uno deck. "You guys might not believe this, but Lance hasn't played _any_ card games."

"Really, _none_?" Pidge asked, eyebrows raising. "Geez, how sheltered did you grow up?" 

"Pidge," Keith warned. "His parents are just really strict."

Lance dropped his gaze. "I, um, my adopted mom thinks card games are just- That they lead to gambling."

Pidge leveled him with a stare. "But it's _Uno_."

That didn't mean much to him since he'd never played, but he supposed he shouldn't mention that uno was a Spanish word, so another reason why he hadn't been allowed to play this one in particular. He just shifted slightly, using Keith to hide from her stare. "O-okay."

Keith let go of his hand to wrap his arm around Lance's waist. "Don't worry, we'll introduce you to things your adoptive parents kept from you. You deserve to have a life of fun."

There was a lot of contact made with that little move, but it didn't make Lance tense. He was comfortable enough with Keith, trusting enough, that it just made him feel safe. His nerves faded a little as he leaned against him. "So Uno's fun? And there's another one we bought. Skip-shoe?" 

"Skip-Bo," Hunk supplied, dragging his desk chair to the little card table they'd set up. "I think it's fun."

"I used to play Skip-Bo a lot with my dad," Pidge commented, sitting in one of the folding chairs. "It's really fun. But I always liked Uno better." 

Even though he didn't want to lose the connection, Lance stepped away from Keith to move his own desk chair over. He took the folding chair before Keith could, leaving him the more comfortable seat. "Yeah? Why?" 

Keith glared at him, shaking his head, but took the desk chair. He'd change seats the moment Lance got up for something. "I know why. It's because she likes to fuck people over with those draw twos and fours."

Pidge snickered. "What can I say? It's fun to screw with people, especially you."

Hunk grinned. "No one play any reverses then. I don't want to be on the receiving end of that."

Keith laughed. "At least I can shield Lance from her attacks."

Hunk broke open the packaging, slanting Lance an amused look. "Not from mine."

"Yeah, but something tells me you might go easy on him."

Hunk chuckled. He'd already shown Lance a few video games, so knew there was a strong competitive streak under that shy stutter. "While he's learning."

"That's fair," Keith agreed. 

After a quick rundown of the rules, Hunk passed the cards to Pidge so she could deal and Lance wouldn't be the first to play. "Are we going to play to five hundred?" 

"Five hundred is a lot. Maybe just play a couple hands and see how comfortable Lance is with it first? Then we can decide." 

Lance looked between them. "Okay. I'll get a notebook if, um, we're gonna keep score later. How do you keep score in Uno?" he wondered, leaving the folding chair to rummage through his desk. 

Keith took the chance to switch chairs with him, quickly wheeling the desk chair around to Lance's side of the table. Pidge shook her head, smirk soft. "The first person to go out on a hand wins that hand, and all the other cards from everyone's hands are added up and given to that person. The first person to reach a total score of five hundred wins the game."

"And depending on what rules we play with, it could last forever," Keith added on. "But I think we'll just start simple for now."

"There are different rules?" Lance wondered, pausing when he saw the chairs. After a brief hesitation, he let it be. Keith was just too sweet. He set a notebook and pen at his elbow and took his seat, sending him an easy smile. 

"Yeah, like there's one rule where if you throw a seven, you get to trade your hand with anyone else at the table, and if you throw a zero, everyone passes their hand to the direction of play. That gets really crazy, but it's a lot of fun."

Hunk nodded. "But we'll just do the basic. You can only lay down draw twos on another draw two. You can't do that with a draw four. Okay? I think making Lance hold that many cards when he's not used to playing with any would be... a lot."

Keith chuckled. "Yeah, even though he's got nice long fingers," he teased, reaching over to lace his own fingers through Lance's. 

It went over his head completely, his smile a little confused. "Thanks?" 

"Oh, it's going to be fun breaking you out of that shell."

"Gross," Pidge complained, scrunching her nose. 

"I... I don't-" 

Hunk bit back his smile. "Don't worry about it, Lance. Just make sure you've got seven cards there and we'll start. I like to sort my hand by color."

"Yeah, same here. And if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask, okay?" Keith assured. 

"Okay. Do... Do I have to know what the numbers mean?" 

"Nope, you just have to match the color that's thrown. Or, when you can and want to, match the number. So if I throw a red two, and you don't have red but you have a green two, you can throw that out."

"Yeah, and we have Keith here to do all the adding afterwards, assuming he doesn't cheat," Pidge teased.

"Never!" 

Lance didn't think he would cheat. Not when he knew Lance would struggle to prove it. He just nodded, glad he didn't have to add any numbers and relieved that Pidge hadn't questioned him. "Okay. So it's just symbol and color matching."

"Yup. And if you wanna get fancy, you can always throw a skip card."

He looked down at his hand, the numbers swirling without meaning, but he had arrows twisted together and two black cards. Then one card of each color. Was it a good hand? He had no idea, but he'd pay attention and learn fast. He didn't know numbers, but he understood strategy. "Does it skip whoever I want?" 

"Mm-mm, just the player next to you, whichever direction play happens to be going. That's what the reverse cards are for."

Lance looked up and only Hunk was unsurprised when his lips curved into a rare smirk. "Are you gonna be nice to me if it's coming this way, Keith?" 

"See, that depends on how nice you are to me."

"I'm very nice."

"Uh-huh. I can tell you have a little bit of a bad side, though."

Lance pursed his lips, watching Hunk lay a blue card on top of the pile. He added his own blue one to it. "I'm... I'm not trying to be bad."

Keith smiled, tossing out a green one. "Sometimes it's good to be bad, though." 

Lance looked at Hunk, who nodded, and hummed to himself. Right. He knew that. He wasn't stupid. It was just... hard to read people sometimes and he didn't know how to have friends. Some teasing was okay. It would be okay. "Like... h-how you look like a bad boy."

Keith tossed his head back on a laugh. "Yeah, kinda like that." 

Lance beamed, sitting up a little straighter. He loved hearing Keith's laugh and was absolutely proud of himself for making it happen. Pidge threw down a black card, calling for yellow, and Hunk playfully glared at her as he drew four cards. "Wait. Why are you drawing?" 

"It's a draw four wild," Hunk replied. "All the wild cards with a plus four mean the next player has to draw."

He looked at his hand. "But not all the wilds have that symbol? And any wild card with a symbol is always four?" 

"Yeah, those are the only two types of wild card," Pidge explained. "And you can choose whatever color you want when you lay one down."

"And it's your turn since I had to draw four," Hunk pointed out, so Lance dutifully laid his only yellow card down. 

"I think I see why people add crazy rules to this game. It's pretty straightforward."

"Mmhm, plus, it's just way more fun to fuck with people." Smiling, Keith laid down a draw two on Pidge.

"You suck," she complained, picking two more out of the pile. 

Lance committed that symbol to memory, head tilting when Hunk laid down a card with the twisted arrows. "What's that one?" 

"Reverse. So it's Pidge's turn."

"Mmhm, and now, if I had one, I could lay it down and reverse it back, but-" She tossed a card that had a circle with a line going through it. "-I'm gonna skip this a-hole, so now it's your turn, Lance."

Lance didn't have anymore yellows, so laid down his wild draw four with a bright smile aimed at Hunk. "Green."

Keith laughed. "That's rough, buddy."

"It's messed up," Hunk complained, organizing his handful. 

Pidge shrugged. "That's the strategy for you."

"Guaranteed they start ganging up on us," Hunk bet, both him and Pidge not seeing the green draw two Keith briefly flashed Lance before laying down a green seven.

Smiling, Lance laid his reverse down and Pidge got the draw two. "I don't know what you mean."

Keith smirked, offering a shrug. "We just make a good team."

"You're not supposed to be on teams!" Pidge whined. 

Hunk, finally able to lay a card down, dropped a green six and continued to shuffle his cards to something manageable. "Called it."

Laying down his green five, Lance smiled up at Keith. Only two cards were left in his hand. "So why is this game even called Uno? You're supposed to get rid of all your cards."

"Yes, well, once you get down to one card, you announce that you have _Uno_ , one left. That basically just lets everyone else know that you're almost out."

"If you don't, you can get called out and have to draw two," Hunk added, jealously eyeing Lance's two cards. "And we will. I think you're done learning."

"Yeah, you picked this up pretty fast," Keith complimented. "I say next hand we start for real."

"Okay."

"Maybe we just do first to two-fifty so we can show Lance another game?" 

Keith smiled. "That sounds good."

"Okay. I tried to keep away from anything that really relies on knowing numbers." Which had limited them on card games. Nothing with a traditional fifty-two card deck and no Phase 10, another one of Hunk's favorites. The runs would kill Lance every time. "And I grabbed Clue, if anyone's interested in that. He's never played it _or_ seen the movie."

"Oh, man, we definitely have to watch it sometime soon," Pidge declared. "Movie night with popcorn!" 

Keith chuckled. "Yeah, and then we can play it and teach you, Lance. It's a fun game, definitely all about strategy." 

That sparked his interest, eyes shining as bright as his smile. It was easily the longest Keith had actually seen him happy and free from stress as most of their time together was spent hunched over math. "I'd like that. I wasn't allowed to play because it's a game about murder."

"Oh, the things we're going to show you…" Keith muttered, smile soft as he shook his head. "We'll have fun teaching you everything we know."

"That sounds dangerous," Lance mused, staring down at the discard pile when it was his turn again. The green number swam indecipherably, but the two circles matched the two circles on his red card so he set the red eight down confidently. "Uno."

"It's ridiculous that you already have Uno," Pidge complained, shuffling through her handful.

"And I don't know what he has, so I don't know if we should try to change the color."

Hunk chuckled, laying down a wild. "Like you'd bother. Yellow."

"I might, you don't know," Keith argued, huffing when Pidge threw out a yellow skip card on him. "And now we'll never know."

"We will once we're playing for points."

Lance giggled, laying down the wild and his last card to win the round. "I think I like this game."

"Unbelievable," Pidge muttered, laying her cards out on the table.

Keith only smiled, pleased and proud of Lance for doing so well. "You just had a good hand. We're gonna start playing points now, so let's see if you can keep this up."

He could and did. Even after they took a break for food, Lance only had thirty-seven points by the time Hunk broke two hundred fifty and that was only because his one loss had caught him with a couple of eights in his hand because he hadn't known to get rid of higher numbers first. Their value hadn't registered, but it didn't matter. He'd won anyway. Even Keith had broken a hundred because Lance had turned on him right at the end and dropped a wild draw four on him. He was still grinning about it as he helped gather up and put away cards. 

"You're not mad at me, are you?" 

Keith couldn't possibly be mad, not when this was the happiest and liveliest he'd ever seen Lance. "Not mad, but just know that I won't forget this betrayal."

Lance giggled, impulsively bumping their hips together. "Maybe next time we'll play crazy rules and you can make it up to me."

"Mm, I absolutely will," Keith promised lowly, smirking.

"That sounds more exciting than threatening."

"If it sounds that exciting to you, then we're making steps in the right direction."

Lance laughed, clearing the little table of their paper plates. "I just don't think you'd actually hurt me. Besides, it's just a game."

Keith's expression softened. "Of course I wouldn't hurt you. I'm not gonna get upset like that over a game."

"I know. It's a nice change of pace. Like I won Connect Four once and Marcia threw the game away."

The words came before Keith could stop them, though he was unapologetic about them anyway. " _Wow_. What a _bitch_."

Lance winced, but couldn't exactly argue. "Henry's a little better. He convinced her to let me join chess club. That game's nothing but strategy and it's fun. I know it's... It's _extra_ lame, but I'd join the one here if I could."

"No, that's not lame. You've got to be pretty smart to be in the chess club. I could definitely see you beating all those other guys."

"You've never seen me play."

"Well, then, I'm just going to have to use my imagination. And my imagination is definitely centered on you." 

And Lance couldn't figure out why. He hadn't done anything to catch Keith's attention as far as he knew. He'd bumped into him at the café and stuttered at him a lot. Why would that be interesting to _anyone_? Keith could very obviously have his pick of men, yet he'd settled on him. Maybe it was pity? The excitement of conquest? Neither seemed to fit but he couldn't fathom what else there was. At least Keith was nice to him. "If you know how to play, I'd show you. Then you can put your imagination to better use."

"Hmm, I'd like that. I've played chess before, so let's do it," Keith decided. 

"Okay. Maybe on our- our date?" 

"Whoa, what date?" Hunk wondered, a sudden reminder that he and Pidge were still there.

Startled, Lance almost dropped the plates on the floor instead of in the trash can, but he bit his lip. "Keith- Keith asked me out."

"Yeah, I did. Why, what did you guys think happened when you left earlier?" 

"Pretty much that. Do you have a day yet?" 

"Mmhm. Friday at my place. I'm going to figure out how to make garlic knots," Keith replied proudly, smiling.

"I mean, it's not hard…" 

"Shut up, Pidge."

Hunk smiled. "I've got a good recipe you can use."

"I'll take it. I want this to go right."

Lance's cheeks went pink and he was pretty sure he was going to start getting lightheaded from all the blushing Keith put him through. "I- I think it will."

Keith smiled. "I think it will, too. I just want it to be perfect for you."

He was too sweet. Lance ducked his head, embarrassed pleasure playing over his features as he murmured Spanish to another person for the first time in months. "Eres dulce. Qué ganas tengo."

The language surprised him, but Keith just took his hand and kissed his knuckles. "I don't know what that means, but it sounds really nice coming from you."

"S-sorry. I just- I'll stick with English. It was j-just- It- Just that you're sweet a-and I can't wait."

"You don't have to stop speaking Spanish for me," Keith assured him. "I'm assuming Marcia doesn't let you use it, but you can feel free to use it around me. I like it."

Since Lance only stared at him wordless for a few seconds, Hunk interjected. "She doesn't just not let him use it. She thinks she erased it."

"D-don't say it like that. It s-sounds crazy."

"I've met her." And he'd heard more of Lance's stories than Keith had and _definitely_ more than Pidge. "So I'm allowed to insinuate that she's crazy."

"Well, she sounds crazy and I already don't like her," Keith decided.

Pidge nodded. "Sounds crazy to me."

She probably was, but Lance couldn't help his discomfort. She'd adopted him and supported him, albeit smotheringly, for eight years. She was _still_ supporting him. He owed her, didn't he? He wrung his hands together, shrugging helplessly. "She's... She's j-just demanding."

Pidge frowned, opening her mouth to say something else, but Keith stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. He could tell that Lance was uncomfortable with them bad-mouthing his adoptive mother. Yes, she was an overbearing bitch, but she was also the person that raised Lance for however long after whatever had happened that left him orphaned. It wasn't fair to him that they continue to talk shit about her right in front of him. "It's okay, Lance," he soothed, "you're here now and we'll help you with anything you want to do, okay?" 

"Yeah, I know. I-" He looked up at Keith. "I trust you."

Keith smiled softly, leaning in to kiss his temple. "Good. That's all I need."

Blue eyes widened, Lance's giggle spilling out against the palm he was quick to lift. He really was a genuinely good guy and Lance didn't know how to handle it. He just knew he wanted more. More time with him, more contact, more _Keith_. He knew well enough to know this was just because he'd never had anyone give him this kind of attention and was prepared, in some part, to have his heart broken when Keith inevitably got bored. But it would be nice in the meantime and maybe he could learn a few things about the world outside of his adopted parents' home and expectations. "S-so you're that easy?" 

"Mmhm. Relationships aren't hard. We'll just keep doing things like we normally do, but we'll see each other more often."

He perked up even more. "Really?" 

"Well, yeah. There'll be more dates and stuff outside of me tutoring you."

Lance nodded, smile returning. "Okay. Yeah. That- I'm really gonna have to watch my GPS tracker."

"Of course she tracks your phone…" Pidge muttered, shaking her head. "But I can fix that. I can hack into it and make it look like you only go to certain places at certain times. That will at least give you a little bit of freedom."

"I did something like that," Hunk put in. "She gets an instant notification every time he leaves the building, so I blocked that. Lance can trigger it himself and put his marker where he wants it. The only problem is that it's instant. If she's watching, she might think it's a glitch, but..."

"Mmhm, I know what you mean. But I can hack it even further," Pidge bragged. "I can set it up so that it automatically, at certain times, makes it look like you're going somewhere. So like on the weekend, if you want to make it look like you go to the library, I can do that. Or I can make it a static location so it doesn't look like you've gone anywhere, and you'd be free to leave."

Lance bit his lip, taking his phone out of his pocket. "A-and she wouldn't be able to tell?"

"I highly doubt she'd be able to figure out what I did, so no. She wouldn't be able to tell."

It was an easy choice. "How long would it take you? A-and what would you want in return?" 

"Hmm, let's just say that you owe me a favor. It'll take me probably half an hour, depending on what app it is."

"Um. One that our- The phone carrier put it on." He fidgeted with his phone. He could owe her a favor. The possibility of extra freedom was too tempting. "D-do think you could do it now? And... And d-do you think... C-could you maybe make it so I c-can see where she is?" 

"It's a two-way app, pretty basic," Hunk supplied, intrigued by Pidge's claims and willing to help how he could. "I couldn't get that far into it, but it should be possible. Because, trust me, she's popped in out of nowhere seventeen times so far and it's been two months. Knowing when she's coming would be great."

Pidge grinned. "Yeah, I can totally do that."

"Nice."

Lance offered the phone and a shy smile. "If you need a computer, I- You can't use mine or she'll know. But..."

Hunk nodded when Lance looked at him. "You can use mine if you need."

"Okay, cool. Yeah, I'll do it now. But we really have to get you some new gear, _without_ all the crazy stalker apps." She shot a pointed look Keith's way, but he merely smiled. 

"It's okay. I- I can't afford it and it's- She c-can't do it forever."

"No, she can't," Keith agreed, kissing his temple again. "But would you accept gifts from someone who was able to afford it and wanted to give you things?" 

Lance laughed, taking a hold of Keith's sleeve and letting himself be drawn to his side. "If you can find somebody like that, okay. I don't really get presents."

"But you'll take them. That's all I need to know."

"Well, yeah. As long as it doesn't cause a problem."

"Trust me, it won't be a problem at all," he assured him, smirking at Pidge when she rolled her eyes. 

For who? Lance wondered, but couldn't ask because his phone rang in Pidge's hand. He stepped forward with a little gasp to take it back from her. "Please be quiet," he requested and answered. It took seconds for the life to sap out of him and he quickly turned to hide in the bathroom while she began scolding him. 

Hunk shook his head when the door closed, keeping his voice soft as he went to his laptop and booted it. "She called early tonight. That's never good."

Keith glared at the door. "I've never met her, but I _hate_ her," he muttered. "What the hell is she yelling at him about?" 

"Dude, it could be anything. Yesterday, she called to berate him for not visiting. But no car, no license, and no credit card. What's he supposed to do? So he suggested she get him an Uber account but put her card on it and she flips out, screeching that she wasn't going to fund his ability to party. Which is insane. He's either here, class, or the library. He's terrified to spend more than half an hour in the cafeteria."

"That is _insane_!" Pidge hissed. "I'm definitely going to hack his phone and fix that."

"Yeah, and I'm going to see that he gets a second phone and computer so he can do whatever the hell he wants."

"How?" Hunk wondered. 

"Dude, Keith is rich as crap. Did you not know that?" 

"I met him when I met you, Pidge. All I know is what Lance has said - hot, really nice, badass, really smart, and scary because of the first four things. He's got no idea what he's doing with you, man, but it seems like you're actually taking care with him."

"Of course I am. I don't want to spook him, but he intrigues me. I just know there's so much under the surface and under that shell of his. I just have to figure out how to crack it. I know the first step is getting him out from under Marcia's thumb."

"Totally. He's funny when he's not watching what he says and the nerd clothes are _not_ his plan. He misses jeans, but he hasn't been allowed to wear them since the adoption. She's in charge of _everything_."

"Well, she's not going to be anymore. He's got me now, and I have different ways of doing things." 

"That’s great, man. He needs it. And if you just do a little bit of prodding, he'll spill every detail about her. He's all pent up and... lonely. He's really lonely."

Keith nodded, his expression shifting into one of sadness. "I know. He won't be anymore, though. He's got me and you guys too."

Hunk looked at Pidge. "You're in, too? Because I don't have proof yet, but I don't think all this is mental. He's too jumpy."

"Yeah. As wrong as it sounds, I want to observe him and figure out what's going on there."

"I get it. I'm really curious about his story, but I really want to see him get better too. You can tell he's secretly fun, right?" 

"Oh, yeah. I want to see that come out." 

"Cool. Heads up, though, he hasn't had an actual friend since he was ten, so he's probably going to be awkward for a while." Hunk smiled at Keith. "Unless you work some serious magic."

Keith smirked. "I think I can manage that." 

The door opened, Lance trudging out without looking at any of them. "Curtain call," Hunk murmured, watching his friend tremble. "Get that phone so Pidge and I can work."

"Definitely." Smiling supportively, Keith made his way over, gently taking Lance's free hand in his and lacing their fingers together. "You okay?" 

"Mm... Mmhm." No. Her voice rang in his ears, making him more determined and more terrified to break away. "I'm s-sorry I... For running out l-like that..."

"No, sweetheart, don't apologize. I get it." Keith kissed the side of his head. "But how about you give that phone to Pidge and she'll fix it for you?" 

"Okay. I-" He paused, ducking his head as his cheeks flushed. "Sweetheart?" 

Keith smiled, cupping Lance's chin with his free hand and gently lifting his head. "Mmhm. You're sweet and I can tell you've got a really big heart." 

Marcia used to do that to him. Dig her nails into his skin and jerk his face up when he refused to look at her during her screaming fits. The first one had been such a shock, but then time had passed and he'd gotten used to her and her demands. Lance reached up, hesitating twice before curling his fingers around Keith's wrist to move his hand up to his cheek. He nuzzled into the palm softly, trusting him. "Can you?" 

"Yes, especially when you do stuff like this."

Lance smiled, soft and sweet. "Thank you, Keith. You're a sweetheart too."

"Yeah? You think so?" 

"Mmhm. You've been really nice to me." He stepped back, letting Keith's hand fall away so he could take his phone to Hunk and Pidge. "H-here. Um. Sorry."

Pidge smiled, taking it from him. "It's alright, Lance. We're here to help." 

Lance wrung his hands together. Hunk and Keith had gained his trust over the time they'd spent together, but she was still new. But she was also Keith's friend and, well, she'd been good to him so far. He decided to take a leap of faith with her and smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Lance. Now give us just a few minutes to get this done. You can go flirt with Keith some more."

"I-" Lance bit his lip, looking back at him. Why deny it, though? Everyone seemed just fine with this. "Okay."

Pidge grinned. "That's the spirit."

Hunk gave him a thumbs-up, so Lance happily returned to his side of the room. His smile faded a little, though, when he saw Keith holding an old taped frame. It was his only personal decoration, so it wasn't surprising that it had caught his eye. Lance didn't wring his hands together, but he did quietly walk over and slip the precious item out of Keith's curious hold. He trusted him, yes, but this was all he had. "You found my family."

Keith cocked his head. "Your… real family?" 

"Yeah." Lance tipped the picture towards him, pointing at the happy faces. "Those are my parents. And then these are my brothers and sisters. Veronica was the oldest. She was thirteen. Marco was twelve, then Luis was nine. Rachel was seven. Then I was two. I was a surprise, I think. I don't think they planned on another baby after they were even, y’know? Two boys, two girls. It was probably perfect." Not that it looked any less than perfect with five kids. Rachel, with her big grin missing three baby teeth, held both of toddler Lance's hands in hers. He wore a bright blue shirt and little overalls, but no glasses. Lance didn't focus on himself for long, gaze wandering back through his siblings. Pigtails and braces, bright smiles and skin tones ranging from pale to deep tan, hair red or rich brown. "We were the McClain family."

Keith just watched Lance, smiling sadly. "You still are. You'll always be a McClain, Lance."

Lance shook his head. "They took my name away when they adopted me. They were expecting a little white kid with my name, but if you refuse to foster or anything based on race, you get taken out of the system."

"Is that why Marcia is the way that she is? Because you weren't _her_ perfect vision?" 

"I think so. Maybe. They adopted me before they met me, across a couple of states. It's not technically allowed, but they're rich so...." Lance shrugged, very gently setting the picture back onto his desk. "They built up this whole thing. They told their friends I was a math whiz and athletic, but suddenly here's some mixed Cuban kid who can't read numbers, can't see, and has a bum knee at _ten_. They told their friends it was a hockey accident right before I left, but I grew up in _Florida_. I've never even ice-skated."

Keith took his hands, gently guiding him to the bed so they could both sit down. "That's so messed up that she had those expectations, and not fair at all to you. She shouldn't have been allowed to get away with treating you like shit just because you didn't fit her mold."

Lance had never had someone else on his bed. All approved friends had to stay away from the family areas. Lance slowly looked up from their hands to Keith's face. He'd never be an approved friend. He was too kind and too unique and that was just the kind of person Lance wanted in his area. "I tried to be what she w-wanted. I really did. I was so glad someone had actually adopted me. The foster system just... I felt so unwanted all the time and I thought... I thought this was m-my chance. But she..." Lance looked down at their hands again, scooting just a little closer so their thighs touched. Warmth seeped onto him from the contact, soft and soothing. "I don't like her mold. I want to be a McClain."

"Then you will be. You're eighteen now and you have the power to make your own decisions. I'll do everything I can personally to help you break away from that mold, okay?" 

"You don't have to make that promise, Keith, it's okay. I don't even have my social security card or _anything_ that would help me get any kind of job. I can't afford school on my own, and... You guys are helping me already. I haven't had real friends since I was a foster kid and... And friends never stayed long. So you're already doing a lot. Maybe you guys can help me make a plan to change my classes without her knowing next semester."

"Yeah, we can definitely do that." Keith lifted their hands, placing a kiss to the back of each of Lance's. "And I just want you to know now, while we're still early into this, that I am also rich. My family is, anyway. So there's seriously no reason for you to refuse my help if money is the big thing on your mind."

The kisses made his skin tingle, but the words made his eyes widen. "You're- R-really? I- _Oh_. That's why you always get my coffee."

Keith smiled. "Mmhm. If you think about it, Marcia is technically paying for it." 

Lance nodded. "Mmhm. I don't have access to my family's things until I get my own place or I turn twenty-five. Whichever comes first, so yeah. That's... She'd be _furious_."

Laughing, Keith leaned in to kiss his temple. "Well, we won't tell her right away, but we'll pretend like we did."

"Telling her at all would be bad, Keith."

"Mm, I bet we could tell her once we set you free from her." 

So in a few years, probably. Lance wasn't holding his breath. She'd had her claws in him for too long for him to expect a quick extraction. "Okay."

Keith squeezed his hands, giving him an encouraging smile. "You won't have to stay under her thumb forever. I promise." 

"I know." A few more years wasn't forever. "Will... If you... If you don't like d-dating me, do you think you'll still b-be my friend?" 

"Sweetheart, I have a feeling I'm going to love dating you. But yes, I'll still be your friend no matter what." 

Lance knew he'd love dating Keith, but couldn't imagine what hold he could possibly have on him. He looked down at their hands, carefully rubbing one of his thumbs over the side of Keith's hand. "Okay. That's all I need." 

Keith nodded, kissing his cheek. "I know… I just want to help you any way I can, and if that's just to be there for you, as a friend or more, that's what I'm going to do."

Every single little kiss made his skin tingle. Every little bit of physical contact just made him feel good. It was so new, a comfort he couldn't remember ever having. But a family had loved and wanted him once. Was it really a surprise that someone else could now? Years of suppression had tempered an innate confidence, but he managed to scrape up enough of it to press closer and lay his cheek on Keith's shoulder. He'd imagined doing just that a dozen times during tutoring sessions, but it was nice to do it in his room. "I like having you around."

"I really like being around you, so I'm glad."

Lance smiled. He'd do his best to keep Keith happy. "Do you want to set up the next game or do you think you and Pidge are going to leave soon?" 

"I'd stay as long as you'll let me, but Pidge might need to leave soon and I was her ride over here."

"Oh." He wanted to keep them both for a while. He liked being surrounded by people. It felt right. "That's okay. I'll see you tomorrow for tutoring anyway."

"Mmhm, definitely."

Lance closed his eyes, soaking in every bit of warm attention. "You can bring me coffee and I won't feel guilty about it."

Keith chuckled. "I'm gonna bring you coffee every day for the rest of your life."

What a big, sweet promise. "At least on tutoring days."

"Mm, for now."

"For now? Do you want to see me every day?" 

"Well, yeah, of course. I want to see you as much as possible."

"O-oh." Lance sat up so he could turn towards Keith, laying his hand on his chest. "If Pidge can really make it so I know where Marcia is... I'd like that."

Keith smiled, covering Lance's hand with his own. "I have faith in her. She's a genius, so I don't doubt she'll be able to do it."

"Okay. Um... Is she still in high school? She looks like she's fifteen."

"Sixteen, actually. But she's a freshman here. She skipped a couple grades. Like I said, she's a genius."

"Oh." Fidgety when thoughtful, Lance's fingers flexed beneath Keith's, shifting over his shirt. "That's pretty cool. How did you meet her?" 

"Our families are friends, basically. Her brother and my cousin have been really good friends since middle school, so they were always at each other's houses, and I was usually with my cousin since he babysat me."

Lance giggled. "I can't imagine you having a babysitter."

Keith smiled. "Well, believe it. I, too, was a kid once. And apparently I was a troublemaker, even though I don't believe that for a second."

"I do."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" 

Lance reached up, very gently running a fingertip across Keith's pierced eyebrow. "A few reasons," he teased. 

Keith laughed. "Hey, now, that's profiling. I could have been a perfect angel." 

It was different to feel that laugh under his palm, watching it fall from Keith's lips. All too aware that he was leaning against Keith and touching his face, Lance sat back and took his hands back to clean glasses that really didn't need it. "M-maybe. But you're really... vibrant and bold. I b-bet you were too curious to behave all the time."

"You'd be right," Keith confirmed, watching him fondly as he wiped his already clean lenses. It amused him how nervous Lance was, but it also made him want to just protect him while showing him the world too. "And I'm hoping you've got that curious nature too. It's fun to misbehave sometimes." 

"I... I used to. I don’t know if I still do."

"Hmm, I think you do. We'll find out." 

Lance looked up, blinking at Keith's blurry features. He wished again for contacts, but really just wanted functioning eyes. A functioning life. Maybe even the life he could've had with the family on his desk. Maybe that bright-eyed, busy kid was still in him, struggling to breathe under Marcia's smothering ways. His glasses slipped on with a smile. "I'd like to. You might be fun to misbehave with."

Chuckling, Keith kissed his cheek. "That's what I was hoping you'd say." 

"Because you're a troublemaker," Lance teased. "Still."

"Yeah, you're not wrong." 

"If you do ever meet Marcia, she's going to hate you." And Lance was surprisingly okay with that. Keith didn't need her approval and he was leagues better than her, no matter what she thought. It was exciting to have a friend like that, and he was eager to see what it would be like having a boyfriend like that. 

Maybe he really did have that curious streak.   
  



	3. Chapter 3

There was something really exciting about having freedom. Only a little bit, considering his inability to drive, but there was enough. He didn't have to worry about where she was anymore. He could relax in the cafeteria over lunch instead of grabbing something portable and running back to the room to avoid her suspicious questions. He'd spent an extra hour with Keith after tutoring, the playful flirting such a good decompression after two stressful hours of math. Keith made him feel special with almost no effort and Lance's lowered worry was making it so much easier for him to breathe and be himself. 

So far, his favorite thing about college was self-discovery. And Keith. Keith was absolutely his favorite thing and Friday had him jittery and beyond nervous. He had a _date_. 

"Dude, if you take another puff from your inhaler, you'll go into roid rage."

"I wasn't going to." He glanced at Hunk, lowering his inhaler and plucking at his sleeve. He felt overdressed and stuffy in his button-up and slacks, but there was nothing else in his closet. What on earth could Keith see in a guy who had a closet filled with sweater vests? "Has Keith texted you yet?" 

"No, but he's probably driving." Except he had texted and was on his way up. 

"Or m-maybe he realized who he asked out and changed his mind."

"I don't think so. Just stop pacing. You'll hurt your knee if you keep pivoting on it."

Pouting, Lance flopped onto his bed just to immediately pop up when there was a knock on the door. He swung the door open, smile immediate but shy. A date felt different. "H-hi, Keith."

Smiling, he leaned in to kiss Lance's cheek. "Hi. You ready to go?" 

Hunk laughed from his desk. "He's been ready for an hour."

" _Hunk_!"

Keith chuckled and reached out for Lance's hand. "Well, we'd better get going then." 

"Later, guys. I won't wait up."

It took Lance a second before he gasped and covered his face. " _Hunk_."

"What? I feel like a proud dad, sending his son off for his first date."

Lance huffed, shuffling closer to hide against Keith’s side. "Bye, Hunk."

"Have fun, guys."

"Mmhm, I know we will," Keith teased, wrapping his arm around him. "I'll have him back before midnight, sooner if Marcia decides she wants to visit." 

"She'd better not ruin my first date," Lance grumbled, the low muttering only Keith could hear a good sign of how far he'd come. 

"I won't let her," Keith promised. "So we should leave now before she does decide to show up." 

"Okay. She'll call tonight since she hasn't called yet today, so I want to get to your place soon. Your dorm is close, right?" 

Keith smirked. "My place is close, yeah, but I don't live in the dorms." 

Lance blinked, immediately assuming he was in an apartment off campus. "That kinda makes me jealous," he admitted as they stepped out, closing the door behind them. "I mean, I've been fine with Hunk and everything but just the idea of having my own space would be great. Do you have a roommate?" 

"Nope. I'm all by myself there." 

"Aren't you ever lonely?" 

"Sometimes. That's why I look forward to spending time with you." 

"Oh." Lance lifted a hand, loosely holding Keith's shirt as they made their way down the hall. "I can spend more time with you. I don't want you to be lonely, Keith."

"Well, I'm not when I'm with you. And there are times when I do like to be alone, so it's not all bad." 

There was a big difference between being alone and being lonely. Lance knew that well, but he didn't argue. He just took it as a dismissal. "That makes sense. I b-bet you'd just get a roommate if you wanted one."

Keith shook his head. "Mm, I don't really want a roommate. I did that already my first two years here. It was miserable because they were just so inconsiderate." 

"How so?" 

"They just didn't respect personal space and didn't understand that my stuff was mine and theirs was theirs. And they tried to have parties, but, I mean, you see those rooms." Keith shrugged. "I wanted the experience of living in the dorms and thought the first year was just a fluke. When it happened again my sophomore year, I decided I'd had enough."

"Oh. I guess their parties had more than four people? Having you and Pidge wasn't _so_ bad."

"Definitely more than four and they were really rowdy. Not fun at all." 

"Mm... I think I got lucky with Hunk, then." He shrugged. "I mean, Marcia picked him out, but... No, yeah, I got lucky. Her picking him makes me luckier."

"No, I wouldn't say that. Because I'm sure that Hunk could have been acting too, you know? Maybe he could have been putting up a front. Obviously we know now he wasn't, but how could she have known?" 

Lance blinked at him. He'd never once thought that Hunk could be lying to him. "Well... She never talked to him beforehand. She just got a list of people and their majors and his paperwork happened to be wrong. She actually thinks his name is Hank and we just haven't corrected her. It's safer because she'd demand a room change. So that's why I'm lucky. She picked him and he's amazing."

Keith smiled softly. "He is pretty cool. I know Pidge liked hanging out with him too."

Lance nodded. "They bonded over tech, definitely. I've never been good with all that, obviously. Coding is a lot of numbers."

"Yeah. I've never understood it either, even though it is a lot of numbers. I'll just let them handle that stuff." 

"Mmhm. But thanks to Pidge, Hunk was able to alter some of my app restrictions. I can listen to music for more than two hours a day now." Smiling, Lance pushed open the door and held it open for Keith. "And I finally played Candy Crush years after it's even relevant but still."

Keith laughed, kissing his cheek on the way by. "Yeah, well, it's an addicting game." 

"It _is_. I think it's a lot of fun." Pink-cheeked, Lance followed Keith out and took his hand. He liked the feel of soft leather against his palm, briefly wondering how Keith's fingerless gloves would feel against his skin. He tucked that away quickly, though, to join others he only let loose when he was alone. "Hunk told me I needed a Facebook account so he could send me lives, but I'm scared to download that. Marcia would lose it."

"What about if you had another phone? Like a secret phone?" Keith asked, pulling his keys from his pocket. 

"We've talked about that. Of _course_ I would be happy if I had another phone."

"Then I'm going to get you one. You shouldn't be limited by what you can do on your own damn phone." 

Lance opened his mouth to object, but hesitated. "N-not- Not anything super fancy. I don't need anything special. Just maybe- I'd like to talk to you more and t-text Hunk. That's all I need."

"I know. Just something you can listen to music on and play games without worrying about the time restrictions." 

"No, it doesn't have to be fancy enough for that. Really."

"Yes, it does. I want it to be." 

Lance sighed fondly. "You can do what you want, Keith. I just don't want you to feel like you have to spoil me."

"How about this: I'll give you gifts because I like it, but if it ever becomes too much, you tell me and I'll stop… For a while." 

Lance laughed. "Okay. That doesn't seem like a bad deal. But you know I can't give you gifts back. Not... Not like _stuff_ gifts."

"I know, sweetheart. I already have stuff. I just want you, to be around you and spend time with you." 

"If that's all you want, I can handle that. I'm-" Lance stopped when Keith did, though it was abrupt. He blinked at the motorcycle in front of them, moving to sidestep it but Keith kept him in place and jingled his keys. "What are-? _Oh_. Oh, is this _yours_?" 

Keith grinned, opening the seat and pulling out a helmet. "Yep. And this is yours," he said, handing the helmet over. 

"Yeah. I don't need _more_ head injuries. I've never been on a motorcycle. Is it like riding a normal bike?" 

"Uh, not exactly. But I'll go slow the first time so I don't scare you." 

"Oh, yeah. Please. I don't- Don't speed."

"I won't, sweetheart, I promise," Keith assured him, helping him strap the helmet on before taking his own out. "I'm even gonna wear my helmet for you." 

Lance tensed, heart seeming to stop. "Do you not normally wear it?" 

"Not if I'm just coming to campus. I live less than half a mile away and I'm not always up on time. Sometimes it's just faster to not wear it." 

"No. N-no, you have t-to wear it. You h-have to. It t-takes ten seconds. W-wear it. You have t-to. D-don't die."

The frantic way Lance was stuttering over his words made Keith believe that maybe his family had suffered their fates in some sort of vehicle accident. It made his heart break, and he wanted to ask about it, but it was only their first date and they didn't know each other well enough that he thought Lance would tell. Not yet, anyway. "Okay, sweetheart, I'll wear it. I won't get on the bike again without it." 

"P-promise? You h-have to. I won't d-date you if you're n-not safe. I c-can't." 

Keith took his hand, squeezing gently. "I promise."

"Okay." Other drivers couldn't be controlled, but Keith could certainly keep himself as safe as possible. Lance didn't care if he was ten seconds late to class. He'd be safe. He was glad the helmet hid his face, the way he was rapidly blinking away threatening tears. It was embarrassing and not something he wanted to explain. But he'd lost so much. He didn't want to risk Keith too. "M'sorry. I'm- It's just... It's important. To me. So... So thank you."

"Of course, Lance. I- One day, would you maybe wanna talk about it?" 

No. He never wanted to talk about it, but... "C-can I just say maybe for right now?" 

"You can say anything you want, even no, okay? I'm not going to try and force it." 

His firm no promptly wobbled to a maybe and he nodded. "Okay. Then maybe. And I'm, um... I'm ready to go when you are."

Keith smiled, swinging a leg over the seat and holding out his hand for Lance. "Then let's get going." 

Lance climbed on carefully, placing his feet where Keith told him and pressed himself close, hesitating before he wrapped his arms around Keith's waist. Like in a romantic movie. He blushed behind the viser, swallowing. This was way better than watching a movie. "Dalé," he murmured, gasping when the machine flared to life. "Oh, wow."

Keith chuckled and revved the engine, just to feel Lance tighten his arms around him and hear his breath hitch. "It's pretty nice, isn't it?" 

"Yeah. It's- It suits you."

"I'm glad you think so. Now hold on tight. I'm gonna start going," he warned, and flipped up the kickstand. 

Lance did as he was told, pressed snugly against Keith as they moved forward. It was a little like a bicycle, but the seat was more comfortable and the company was nice. The motorcycle rumbled beneath them, the wind whipped, and... It wasn't bad. It wasn't even frightening after the first turn. He just let himself lean with Keith, instinctively following his movements to keep them balanced. It seemed to be the right thing to do since they didn't crash and Keith didn't tell him be was doing anything wrong. 

Lance actually enjoyed the short ride, beaming and barely noticing the house they pulled up to. He was more focused on getting off the back and fumbling with the helmet straps. "That was really cool, Keith! I kinda get why people love motorcycles so much."

"Yeah? Well, I'm glad I didn't scare you off. It's my only mode of transportation around here," he explained, taking Lance's helmet from him once he'd managed to get it off. Both were stowed back under the seat that Keith then locked. "But let's get inside. I've got garlic knots waiting in the oven."

"You really figured..." He trailed off when he actually _looked_ at where they were. "Wait, this... This is a house."

Keith laughed, taking his hand. "Yes, this is the house I'm renting. And, I should have asked you this earlier, but you're not allergic to dogs, right?" 

Lance turned to him, eyes wide. "No. Why?" 

"Well, you'll see." Smiling, Keith led him the short distance to the front door, unlocking it and throwing it open. On the other side was a large black German shepherd sitting and waiting patiently, though its tail was thumping against the floor. Keith chuckled and let Lance go inside first before following and shutting the door behind them. "This is Kosmo."

Lance covered his mouth, eyes bright and delighted. It was so _big_ and cute and a _dog_! A real, actual dog. "C-can I pet Kosmo?" 

The reaction was so pure and adorable, Keith couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, of course. She's really friendly."

"Okay. Are there rules? What do I-?" He just stepped closer, unable to wait, and reached out a hand. She sniffed and then rubbed her muzzle against his palm and it was all the permission Lance needed to kneel down and start petting her. He scratched her behind the ears, smile bright. "Hi, Kosmo. Hi. You're so pretty," he cooed, instantly in love with her. "Such a good girl."

"She really is," Keith agreed, watching the two of them get along brilliantly. "She likes you." 

"She does?" Lance kissed her nose, hands scratching down her sides. It was such a nice surprise. He'd always wanted a pet, and this very well-behaved, huggable dog was perfect. "I love you, perrita linda. Te amo mucho."

Keith smiled, rubbing Kosmo’s ear when she looked up at him, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she soaked up the attention. "I love her too. She's the best behaved dog I've ever met." 

"She's so good." Lance wrapped his arms around her and looked up, absolutely thrilled. He looked like Keith had just promised him a trip to Disney. "How old is she? When'd you get her? When'd you get her? What kind of dog is she?" 

Keith chuckled. "She's a three-year-old German shepherd that I adopted from the TSA, about two years ago now. She failed her drug-sniffing tests and was too 'nice.'"

Lance giggled, kissing the top of her head. "Are you too nice, Kosmo? Pretty girl."

She barked once before licking the side of Lance's face. "I mean, I just don't see it," Keith teased. 

Lance had to straighten his glasses, but he kissed her again before he stood. "I spent some time in an orphanage once and there were a few therapy dogs. They were all labs, but she reminds me of them."

"Yeah, she's got a really good temperament, thankfully. But, then again, it is only me here, and my parents whenever they pop around."

"Did they take care of her when you were in the dorms?" Lance left a hand on Kosmo, scratching her behind the ear while her warmth seeped into his leg. She really did remind him of the therapy dogs. Kids who'd been there the longest would fight every time the dogs came, seeing who could throw the biggest fit so they could be assigned a dog for a few hours. But, ultimately, the dogs were trained to go to who actually needed them and Lance had gotten one every day. He'd hated leaving that orphanage, but had been excited because he'd just been adopted and maybe his new parents would get him a pet to make up for it. Too bad Marcia hated dogs and Henry was allergic. 

"Yeah, she was technically like a high school graduation present, but I got her later in the summer, almost at the start of school. So they knew they were going to have to take care of her, but my parents live about two hours from here, so I was able to see her whenever I went home on the weekends. "

"That's another good reason for you to have gotten this place." Which Lance finally looked at, finally paying attention to something other than Kosmo. "It's bigger than it looked outside."

"Mmhm. It's a three bed, two bath. It's deeper than it is long, so yeah, it does look pretty small from outside." 

It was a little surprising that he had such a big place when he was alone, but an extra room made sense if his parents visited. Maybe the third bedroom was used as an office or an extra room for guests. Or, thinking of how firm Keith had felt against him, it was a gym. Sweaty Keith was tucked into the back of his mind, though his cheeks pinkened before he could stop them. "Mmhm. Can I see the kitchen? I can smell the garlic knots."

"Yeah, it's this way." Smiling, Keith led him off to the left of the entryway into the sizeable kitchen. "I've got the table set already, I just need to grab everything out." 

"Okay. I'm starving." He looked at Kosmo, trotting right beside him, and smiled. "But I'll share," he promised, laughing when her tail wagged. 

"Oh, yeah, she loves people food. Bacon especially." Keith chuckled, opening both ovens in the wall. He grabbed the garlic knots first, setting them on a trivet on the table, and then took out a pan of lasagna. "I'm lactose intolerant, so it's dairy-free." 

"Really? I don't think I'm intolerant, but I'm sensitive to it. Henry said no to the testing, though, so I don’t know."

"Well, you're eighteen. If you wanna find out, I could take you."

"I don't know how much fun it would be to take me to a doctor for some tests, and I've got enough diagnoses to worry about."

Keith set the lasagna down, smiling softly. "Okay. It's probably a good idea to just stay away from dairy then, which you won't have a problem with around me." 

"That's a relief, honestly." Lance smiled, joining him at the table. He hadn't set the plates across from each other, but right next to each other. He liked the promise of being close. "You don't ask questions like Hunk does."

"Like what does he ask?" 

"Well, I mean, he cooks a lot since I don't actually know how and he loves it so he asked me what all I'm sensitive to." There was a reason Hunk had so readily offered his garlic knot recipe. "And he's asked more about how I grew up and, y’know, what all my problems are. You don't really... I don't even think you know my favorite color. You just know I can't do math, and-" He broke off, realizing something as he stared at the lasagna. "Hunk told you I'm gluten intolerant when he gave you the garlic knot recipe."

"Yup. It was obvious since the knots were gluten-free too." Smiling at him, Keith scooped out the corner onto Lance's plate. "He said I could either use the gluten-free noodles or zucchini and eggplant, so I chose the veggies." 

"I like either." And he was touched that Hunk had thought to tell him when Lance hadn't and grateful that Keith had listened. "You're both really great."

"Well, what kind of friends would we be if we didn't try to accommodate you?" 

"Ones Marcia would actually approve of." Lance cut a corner off the lasagna with the side of his fork and hummed happily around the first bite. "This is really good."

Keith smiled. "Good, I'm glad you like it." He took his own bite, grabbing two garlic knots and passing one to Lance. "I hope these are just as good." 

"I bet they are." Lance pulled it apart, watching steam rise from the bread, and smiled before he took a bite. "Ooh. I was right. Here, Kosmo, what do you think?" 

She sniffed the bread curiously before gently taking it from Lance's fingers. She held it in her mouth while she trotted away, spitting it on the floor and sniffing again, before deciding it was something she wanted and gobbling it up. 

It made Lance laugh. "She's so dainty."

"She's weird," Keith teased, chuckling when she came back over and rested her chin on Lance's leg. "And now she knows you're a sucker." 

"That's okay. She deserves all the love." Lance gently stroked her head, clearly enraptured with her in an unbearably sweet way. 

"Yeah, she does. I can tell she'll get plenty from you." 

"Of course she will. She's a baby." He gave her another piece of a garlic knot, unsure if she could have the veggie noodles. "Te amo, perrita linda. Eres muy buena," he cooed. 

Keith smiled, shaking his head fondly. "She loves you too already." 

"I've bribed her with food and pets. Plus, I'm cute," he bragged, boldness flaring. "Of course she loves me too."

Keith laughed. "You _are_ cute. That's one of the reasons I like you too." 

Looking up, Lance's cheeks lightly flushed. "Do you... Do you have a lot of reasons?" 

"Mmhm, and I feel like I'm just going to keep finding more and more reasons every day." 

"What makes you think that?" 

"Because you're still slowly coming out of your shell and figuring out your own personality. The more you do, the more of you there'll be to like." 

"O-oh. That makes sense." He cut into his lasagna again, scooting some of the meat aside to give to Kosmo once he was done. He'd happily let her lick his plate. "So... What'd you have in mind for our date?" 

"Just some couch cuddling and a movie. I can make popcorn too." 

It seemed so simple, but the thought of cuddling close with him on a couch made his heart flutter. "I like popcorn. What movie?"

"Haven't decided yet. I wanted you to have a chance to pick." 

"Anything, really. In the foster system, there's a lot of... I don't know. Some places call it playcare? It's just like a daycare thing while foster parents have a meeting and the foster kids get babysat by someone who usually doesn't want to be there. So I've watched a _lot_ of kid movies but not really anything else."

"Okay, so we'll start off with something easy. I'm thinking _The Princess Bride_."

"That... sounds like a kid movie."

Keith chuckled. "It's not. It's family-friendly, but it's not considered a kid movie." 

"Mm... Okay. If you think it's good, I'll trust you." He smiled, just a little mischievous. Testing the waters. "This time."

"You should trust me all the time. I'm very trustworthy," Keith argued lightly, grinning. 

Lance bit his lip, but it didn't keep his delight hidden. "I don't know. You might have to prove it."

"I plan to."

Lance took another bite of lasagna, humming to himself. "What's your favorite movie?" 

"Um, I don't know that I have a favorite. I like scary movies, comic book movies, and some of those nerdier ones too."

He didn't know what the nerdier ones were. "Oh."

Keith smiled softly. "Like _Lord of the Rings_ and stuff like that."

"Oh," he repeated. "I'm sorry. I... I was _mostly_ homeschooled? I had some tutors and I went to a private school twice a week. So that's why a lot of references and whatever just... don't land."

"No, don't apologize. I'm still learning what you are and aren't aware of. I'll eventually introduce you to everything." 

"There's a lot of everything. I'm still trying to figure out what I do and don't know too. Hunk's helped. We watched the Matrix movies, so I've seen those. And then when I made fun of the main guy, Hunk made me watch John Wick and I didn't even know it was the same actor. He was a lot better." Lance squinted a little, hands moving as he animatedly rambled. "I don't remember his name, though. But the point is, I've seen some sci-fi movies now and the first Star Trek series. I liked it, but Hunk said the two main guys - Kirk and... Spock? He said they're _not_ dating? Which is insane. Of course they are. I guess there are movies too, but we haven't made it that far. 

"He said Star Wars is next, but that's so confusing. Why would they both be named after stars? Like get some originality? He's going to make a list of all the movies and shows I have to watch, though. I think it's gonna take _forever_ , but that's okay. I don't do a whole lot. If I had more stomach, I'd probably just get fat except I've been able to go swimming a few times this week which has been a lot of fun and I found yoga videos online - Hunk lets me use his computer sometimes - so I'm following routines there so maybe I wouldn't get _fat_ , but I still don't..." He trailed off, realizing he'd been rambling, and just silently blinked at Keith. Waiting to be told to stop, so used to being silenced quickly. 

But Keith merely smiled at him, enjoying the way Lance was opening up. "That's the most I've ever heard you say in one go. I could listen to you for hours." 

Lance laughed, a little surprised at himself. "I don't think I could talk for hours. My throat would get sore."

"Mm, well, I wouldn't want that. But I like hearing you talk." 

Lance shrugged, poking at his lasagna. "Ask me questions."

"Okay, well, since I still don't know it, what's your favorite color?" 

Lance smiled. "Blue. I like red too, but blue's my favorite. It makes me think about water."

Keith smiled. "Red's my favorite, but I do like blue too. And what about your birthday? When is it?" 

"You missed it. It was the twenty-eighth of July. I got new glasses, more dumb sweater vests, and the information that I'd be coming here and had an approved roommate already. It... It wasn't a great day."

"We'll just have to celebrate your half-birthday then in January. Maybe even your quarter-birthday this month. We could have a party for your quarter and my actual birthday." 

_This_ month? "When's that? Is it soon? I need enough time to get you a present." 

Keith shook his head. "You don't need to get me anything, sweetheart. But it's the twenty-third of this month." 

"No, I do." He just couldn't spend more than twenty dollars on it because that's all the fun money he had left. "I have to do _something_ special for you."

"Well, I mean, you could always _do_ something, then, and not _buy_ me something."

Lance bit his lip. "But I don't know what I could do? I've never celebrated someone's birthday before. I- I know you probably won't be around me for it since y-you'll spend it with your parents, but... What's- What can I do?"

Keith placed a hand on Lance's arm, squeezing gently. "I'll be around, sweetheart. They usually come here to visit since I don't have a car here to get Kosmo to their house. And, if you want, you and Hunk can get together to plan a party or something. I normally just have dinner with my parents, so a small party could be fun."

"Who would you want there besides Pidge?" And if his parents were going to be there, surely Keith wouldn't want Lance around too. Not as a person he was dating, surely. 

"Well, you, Hunk, and Pidge definitely. I think that would be fine, plus my parents would probably stick around for it too." 

Lance's brow furrowed. "Okay."

Keith cocked his head. "What? Is something wrong?" 

"I just- I'm trying to understand- Are you... Do they know... And they're okay with... Or am I..."

" _Oh_." Keith smiled. "They know I'm gay, sweetheart, and I've told them about you. They'd actually really like to meet you, if you're okay with that."

His birthday was in two weeks, they'd known each other a month, and this was their first date. Lance's brain seemed to fizzle out and he wheezed. "They'd _hate_ me."

"Why do you think that?" Keith wondered, rubbing his arm comfortingly. 

Lance shook his head quickly. "I'm n-not good enough for _you_. I- I'm a Cuban orphan w-with no social skills a-and no money."

"Lance, I don't care that you don't have money. There's enough in my family for both of us. And you know what? _I'm_ the one who gets to decide if you're good enough for me, and I say that you're the _best_ for me."

"B-but I'm a _mess_!"

"No, you're not. You're just a little shy and sheltered. I think once you open up, you'll see that."

Lance dropped his gaze, staring at Kosmo. She seemed as confused as him, so he gently stroked her head and scratched her neck to soothe her. Tension flowed away from him steadily, finding comfort in the dog's happiness. "W-what if I don't meet their expectations?" 

"What expectations should they have of you?" 

"I don't know. I d-don't know how people think. I just... People always seem to have expectations I can't m-meet."

"Well, I promise they're not expecting anything from you. Just be yourself, seriously."

Lance bit his lip again. He had two weeks to figure out how to do that and to hopefully not offend or disappoint Keith's parents. Or Keith, really. "Okay."

"Okay," Keith echoed, smiling softly. "They'll like you, I know they will."

Lance looked up, seeing nothing but sweet patience. Keith really didn't seem like a patient guy. Lance had seen how quick he could be, how impatient with others, but that had never been directed at him. He laid his hand over Keith's, his own soft, shy smile blooming. "What'd you tell them about me?" 

"Mm, just that you were cute and shy, a little bit nerdy, but that you're also very sweet."

Lance shook his head, smile brightening and appetite returning. "Thanks for setting the bar low. I can meet those expectations."

"Mmhm, you already do." Keith smiled, nudging Lance's plate closer to him. "Now eat, sweetheart. I can tell you're hungry." 

"I am." Lance took another bite to placate Keith and his own stomach, wondering how Keith tolerated his frequent panic. He'd been with Marcia just as long as he'd been in the foster system, but he didn't remember nearly as much of the system. He'd been too young, so many social cues were just lost on him. How did _anyone_ tolerate him? Not wanting to stress again, he shifted gears. "What kinds of things would you want to do at a birthday party?" 

"Well, game night was fun. We could just play card and board games. I'm not one for parties, so it doesn't have to be fancy or crazy or anything." 

"Okay." That sounded easy enough. It had been fun, and Pidge had liked him after a game night. Hopefully Keith's parents would too. 

When his plate was empty but for a few bites of meat, he set it down for Kosmo. "Here, perrita. Since you're so good and patient. Just like your papi."

Keith chuckled, rising with his own empty and nearly clean plate, and gathered the rest of the food to bring back into the kitchen. "She just knows not to be a brat about getting things."

"She's not. She's perfect." Lance rubbed her back as she licked his plate and sat down next to her just to soak up a friendly canine presence. "You're so lucky, Keith."

"I definitely got lucky with her, yeah," he agreed, smiling softly at them. "She'll sit on the couch and cuddle with you."

Lance nodded, gently stroking her side. It was so obvious that he was as desperate to give affection as he was to get it. "Hopefully she'll follow me after she's done with my plate."

"I have a feeling that she's going to be attached to your side the whole night," Keith mused, starting to put the leftovers away, but saved a small container for Lance to take back with him.

Maybe. Lance wouldn't mind. He kissed the top of her head and picked up the plate to bring it to Keith, smiling at him. "I hate it to break it to you, but she's kinda my favorite part of the date so far."

Keith chuckled, kissing Lance's cheek as he took the plate from him. "I'm okay with that. There'll be other dates where I'll be your favorite." 

Lance beamed. "I hope so. This is basically just like staying late with you after tutoring so far. I just didn't have to go through hell first."

"Mmhm. This was way better." 

"So... What makes it a date? Just, like, wanting it to be one?" 

"That and just the fact that we're together outside of school."

Lance nodded, humming to himself. "Okay. So... A-are you... Um... Nevermind. Come on, Kosmo. Do you want to sit with me, perrita linda?" 

Keith cocked his head, reaching out and placing a hand on Lance's shoulder. "Am I what?" 

"Mm..." It was an embarrassing question to ask, something he was pretty sure should be obvious. He just didn't _know_. "A-are you... Are you my boyfriend now?" he mumbled, averting his gaze. 

Smiling, Keith kissed his temple. "If you want me to be, I'd really like to be." 

Lance shifted closer, nuzzling his forehead against Keith's shoulder. "Yes."

"Then yes, I'm your boyfriend now. And you're mine." 

Putting it like that made him feel special, like Keith really wanted him. He hadn't felt wanted in... Never. It made tears well up, so he very quickly kissed Keith's shoulder and scampered out to curl up in the corner of the couch and hide his face in a pillow he hugged tightly until he was interrupted. Kosmo hopped up and pushed her muzzle between his face and the pillow and he couldn't help the giggle as he lifted up to give her space to lick his cheek. "Soy bueno, perrita," he murmured, petting her. "I'm okay. It's okay."

Keith finished putting the food in the fridge and the dishes in the sink to soak before making his way over, sitting next to Lance and squeezing his shoulder gently. "You sure you're okay? What's wrong, sweetheart?" 

Lance nodded. "I just... I'm k-kinda pathetic a-and I don't want y-you to feel sorry for me."

"Oh, Lance, no, you're not pathetic. You're just not used to all of this, and it's understandable if you're a little overwhelmed. I was trying to keep it casual tonight so I didn't spook you." Keith leaned in, pressing his lips to Lance's shoulder. "I just want you to feel comfortable with me." 

"I..." Oh, that was new. But Lance really didn't mind it. "I am. I just- It's n-not your fault. I just- I've never been wanted before. Not _me_ for me. So it was... It was really nice to feel like that? I'm just not used to it." And he didn't want Keith to see him cry. 

"Well, get used to it, because I do want you. And I also really wanna cuddle you."

"I want you to. What, um, what do I do? Are you gonna start the movie first?" 

"Popcorn first," Keith declared, kissing his cheek before rising from the couch. "Kosmo will keep you company for a few minutes. Just get comfortable." 

"Okay." She quickly took up Keith's spot, licking Lance's cheek and making him laugh. "I'm comfortable, so be fast."

"I will be."

And he was. The popcorn was done in just a couple of minutes, Keith's trusty air popper getting the job done quickly. He tossed it with some ghee and salt, and carried the bowl back to the couch, passing it to Lance to hold and munch on while he got the movie ready. It was one of the many blu-rays he had in his collection, quickly throwing it into his player before rejoining Lance.

"I think you're gonna really like this movie," he murmured, using his phone to dim the lights.

Lance bit his lip, the soft light feeling just a little more romantic. He scooted a little closer to Keith, wanting to snuggle in but unable to work up the bravery. "I hope so."

"Mmhm." Maneuvering them into a more comfortable position, Keith had Lance tucked into his side, arm around his waist. "Cary Elwes is my favorite in this. He plays the main guy character." 

"I don't know who that is." Lance leaned into him, content and comfortable with that solid warmth at his side. And the arm around him felt so secure and romantic. 

"He's gorgeous. You'll be able to figure it out the second you see him. But he's just a really great actor." 

Lance giggled. "Should I be jealous?" 

"Only if I ever had the chance to meet him," Keith teased. 

"Thanks for the warning." Though it wasn't unexpected. Lance fully expected Keith to drop him the moment someone more interesting came along, but he'd be okay as long as they stayed friends. "What's this movie about?" 

"It's about this kid who's sick in bed and his grandfather tells him this fairytale story. The movie follows the fairytale, about a girl who falls in love with a guy working as their farmhand. It's actually kind of hard to explain without giving anything away, so you'll just have to watch. "

"Okay." It didn't seem like the kind of movie Keith would watch based on that description, but Lance nodded. It must be good then. He crossed his legs so he could settle the popcorn safely in his lap, pressing snugly to Keith's side once he'd hit play and the opening credits started. 

And then he was swept up just as much as the kid being read the story. It was a charming, sweet tale with a surprising wit that made him laugh more than once. He never lost focus on Keith, though. He was aware of every squeeze, every stroke, every shift, and every little kiss to his temple or his cheek or the back of his hand. So much stimulation should've overwhelmed him, but Lance found himself eager to feel and see more by the time everyone lived happily ever after. He loved it and he'd never forget that his first time seeing it had been while cuddled close with Keith in his house, a dog napping at their feet. 

It was the best night ever. And he never wanted it to end, genuinely disappointed when Keith walked him to his room near midnight. He didn't want to let his hand go. "So how long do I have to wait for another date?" 

Keith smiled. "Not long at all. We can go on another date whenever you want, wherever you want."

"You know the area better than I do, so anywhere. And I don't think you'd be willing to take me out tomorrow night, so..."

"Who says?" he countered, squeezing his hand. "I'd love to take you out tomorrow night." 

Lance bit his lip, turning towards him once they'd reached his door. "Really?" 

"Yeah, of course. I want to spend as much time with you as I can." 

"Okay. I was hoping to sneak in some swimming after tutoring in the morning, but I'd go somewhere with you instead."

"Well, you could still go swimming, sweetheart. I don't want you to miss out on that." 

"Or... You come swimming with me."

Keith smiled, rubbing his thumb over the back of Lance's hand. "I could definitely do that."

"Maybe... Maybe we skip tutoring and just h-have a fun day together?" It felt wicked just to ask. He so rarely took a break from routine and couldn't remember ever having a truly free day. It would be really nice to spend his first one with Keith. 

"Ooh, you wanna be a little rebel? I must be rubbing off on you."

Lance's cheeks pinkened, but his smile was bright. "Maybe a little. So we can?" 

Keith laughed. "Yeah, of course we can, baby. That would be fun." 

_Baby_. That was somehow more intimate than sweetheart. Lance's blush deepened, but he only squeezed Keith's hand. "Good. Then I'll see you at the pool tomorrow morning?" 

"Yup. I'll be there at nine." 

"Okay. Nine, then. I'll see you at nine."

"Mmhm. I'll see you in the morning." Keith smirked, stepping closer and lifting a hand to cup his cheek. "Can I kiss you?" 

_Oh_. Oh, oh, oh- Lance shyly nuzzled into his palm, heart racing. "If you w-want to."

"I definitely want to," Keith murmured, leaning in until their lips were a breath apart. He waited for Lance's soft gasp, the slight tensing of his fingers in Keith's shirt where he'd fisted his hand, before closing the distance. It was a chaste kiss, lips brushing Lance's, though he kept them there with a firm yet gentle pressure. 

It was a very nice first kiss. Like slipping into a warm pool, Lance was enveloped in comfort and promise. His eyes closed on a soft, accepting murmur, and his hand slid up to hold Keith's shoulder while the soft kiss sweetly lingered. 

Keith smiled into the kiss, pressing slightly firmer, but kept it chaste. He pulled back after a few more seconds, but stayed close with his thumb rubbing Lance's cheek. "Your lips are so soft."

Lance tipped his head, smile soft. He wouldn't mind a few more dozen kisses. "Yours are warm."

"Mmhm." Keith dropped his hand, though squeezed Lance's with the one they still had tangled together. "Til tomorrow. Sleep tight." 

If he could sleep at all with the way his heart was skipping beats. He slowly let Keith's hand go, reaching for his keys to unlock his door. "Goodnight, Keith. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, baby," Keith murmured, smiling as he turned away to head back to his bike. 

Lance smiled too, blushing when Keith turned back to smirk at him. Lance impulsively stuck his tongue out and disappeared into his room. Hunk looked up from his book, brows lifting, and Lance's delighted giggle said it all. Best date ever.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That first kiss mood <3


	4. Chapter 4

Lance beat Keith to the pool. He was too excited to sleep in, honestly, and the thought of having a whole day free from any rules or restrictions was too good to pass up. It may have also occurred to him that he'd be able to see Keith without a shirt while pulling off his own, so he'd hit his inhaler hard in hopes of avoiding any serious loss of breath when he arrived. That really was going to be a lot to deal with, but he thought he was ready. 

He really didn't think his own body was that bad. He had some scarring on his torso and his knee from surgeries, but the nastiest of his scars was covered by his hair. He wasn't as muscular as he maybe could've been, but it was hard to build up muscle when the only consistently approved workouts were yoga from an approved private tutor and taichi from the exact same woman. And the treadmill, but he could only handle running for so long. Lifting weights was "too dangerous" and if the treadmill was too strenuous, then anything else would be too, following the flawed logic of his adopted parents. 

Thankfully, he had laps to keep his mind busy and away from that sort of logic. He set himself up in one of the lanes instead of the shared area and started off at a steady pace, letting the workout take over his mind and bring peace. His adopted parents had never understood his love of the water, so had often kept him from it. Marcia especially knew how to use it as a reward or, more often, a punishment. But Lance didn't have to think about her. He had his whole day already setup and the GPS would change on its own when it was time to leave the library, briefly pop into the cafeteria, and then move back to the dorms. No problem. 

So he was smiling when Keith finally arrived, eyes closed and glasses wrapped around his inhaler on the edge of the pool while he did backstrokes down the lane. 

Keith just watched him for a few minutes, entranced by the way his body sliced through the water so easily. It seemed like he was born to be in it, and was so glad they decided to ditch tutoring today. Lance needed this and Keith was happy to share it with him.

After it appeared Lance wasn't going to stop, Keith shook himself out of it and pulled off his shirt, toeing his shoes off and leaving everything next to Lance's stuff before just sitting on the edge, feet dangling in the water. 

Lance felt him on his next return, jolting in the water and blinking rapidly at the figure he'd just smacked. "S-sorry! I- Sorry. I'm- I wasn't paying attention."

Keith chuckled, brushing his arm with his foot. "It's okay, Lance, it's just me."

"Well, I'm-" Very relieved. "Still sorry. I really wasn't paying attention. Is it nine already?" 

"Yeah, it's like ten after."

"Oh. I was gonna actually put on my glasses so I'd know when you got here." He felt for them, smiling when Keith handed them over. "Thank you." When he pushed them onto his nose, vision clearing, he gasped softly. Keith was _gorgeous_. Subtle, firm muscle and a tattoo on his chest that Lance zeroed in on with wide eyes. He'd noticed the one on the back of his neck, but hadn't realized that there were _more_. Maybe he hadn't been ready to see Keith in just a bathing suit. 

Keith smirked down at him, gently kicking the water. "You okay there?" 

"Mm... Mmhm." Lance nodded. Oddly, his mouth had started to water. He didn't want to admit to that, though, but did get brave enough to move closer. He very innocently moved to be between his legs, laying his hands on Keith's knees to stop the kicking and gazing up at him curiously. "How many tattoos do you have?" 

Keith's breath hitched, his eyes darkening as he stared down at Lance. He was in the perfect position for a very sinful act, but Keith knew not to call him out or embarrass him. "Uh… Eight. S-so far." 

"Oh. So far?" He noticed a hook-like symbol on his right forearm, so reached out and softly traced it. It was a unique symbol, though he couldn't imagine what it meant. "You want more?" 

_Fuck_. "Y-yeah, after the first one, I just kept wanting to add. I just don't know what else to get." 

"Oh." Lance looked up, smiling. He was so used to seeing Keith in jackets that he wasn't sure what else he'd see. There were five more to find. Four, he realized, noticing what looked like solar system rings on his left forearm. Lance liked them, wondering if Keith was interested in space like he was. He wondered, too, what was making Keith stutter but decided not to draw attention to it. Keith never mentioned his beyond calling it cute, after all. "What was the first one?" 

"The one on my arm here." Keith held up his right arm, showing off the strange symbol. "My childhood friends and I called ourselves the Blades of Marmora. It was something we'd read out of some comic book once. We all decided to get matching tattoos when we turned eighteen."

Lance's brow furrowed. "Like a nerd gang?" 

"Not a _nerd_ gang. We were just a group of friends and thought the symbol was cool."

Giggling, Lance took and squeezed his hand. "It is kinda cool. I thought it meant something, but... I guess it still does." He traced the pattern again, gaze falling to it. "Are you still friends with them?" 

"Yeah… We all have lives now, what with school and work, but we still keep a group chat open. Every once in a while someone will text or share a meme or something." 

"Oh. So... what _are_ memes? Hunk says that word all the time like I should know it."

Keith smiled. "I'll show you some later. It's basically a picture with a funny caption on it."

Meme was an interesting word for something so simple. Maybe he would've been safe just googling it. "Okay. What's your favorite tattoo?" 

"Uh, it's a tie, I think. Between the paw prints here and the phases of the moon I have on my back." 

A back tattoo. Ooh. Lance hoped to see it while they swam. "I like the paw prints."

Keith smiled, nodding. "Yeah, it's for Kosmo. She's so special and important to me." 

"That's so cute." Lance grinned, bright and happy, and tugged at Keith's hand. "Come swim with me. I- I want to see your tattoos."

Chuckling, Keith let Lance drag him into the water, dunking his head as he went in to wet his hair. "Mm, water's nice today." 

Lance struggled for words for a minute, just quietly staring at him. His hair looked a little longer wet, making Lance want to reach out and run his fingers through it. He held back, though, summoning his courage for something else. "Only because you're in it."

Keith smirked. "Ooh, flirting with me, huh? I like it."

Lance ducked his head, biting back giggles. "I like you."

"I like you too, baby," Keith murmured, swimming closer to him. "I like you a lot." 

Hesitating only a moment, Lance reached out and laid his hands on Keith's shoulders. It was his day to do what he wanted, after all, and Keith didn't seem to mind when he was bold. "How much is a lot?" 

Keith smiled, though his heart was fluttering in his chest. He really did love it when Lance was bold. It was just another sign that he was slowly coming out of that protective shell and opening up to the world, or at least to Keith. "More than a little." 

Lance's laugh started a little when he felt their chests brush, the skin to skin contact unexpected. It wasn't unwelcome, though, so he stayed close. "G-good."

Humming, Keith drew him in even closer with arms wrapped around his waist, their chests pressed firmly together now. "Yeah? Is it really good?" 

"K-Keith..." Lance's fingers flexed on his shoulders, soaking up every bit of contact. He'd only been nervous about _seeing_ Keith shirtless. Touching him hadn't been a worry, but he'd been so wrong. "I, um... Are you gonna k-kiss me?" 

Keith smiled. "I definitely want to. Are you okay with that?" 

They weren't the only ones at the pool. The only ones in their lane, but not alone. Lance swallowed, very carefully sliding his hands down Keith's back. "Y-yes."

Keith lifted a hand to Lance's cheek, smile turning soft as he leaned in. There was no preamble to this kiss, Keith covering Lance's lips with his own. 

Lance melted against him, sighing against his lips and instinctively tilting his head to keep their noses from bumping together and his glasses from getting in the way. It was just as nice as it had been the night before, his mind tingling pleasantly and his heart fluttering. But when it broke, he didn't want it to stop. "Will you... Can it be a little... more?" 

"Mm, of course, baby," Keith murmured, kissing him again. This time he pressed a bit firmer, parting his lips to let his tongue tentatively brush along Lance's lips, encouraging them to part. He didn't delve in once they did, instead using little kitten licks to coax them open further. 

Lance's fingers dug into Keith's back, nails biting the skin as he sought purchase. His tongue was so warm, so soft and tempting. Lance let his brush Keith's, unsure what to do but curious, and made a soft sound as Keith's unique taste exploded over his taste buds. 

Keith moaned softly, taking Lance's acceptance as permission, and deepened the kiss even further. His hand slid to the back of his neck, holding him in place while his tongue gently, yet thoroughly explored Lance's mouth. 

Lance whimpered, little sounds forming in the back of his throat as Keith emptied his mind and heated his skin. It was an unexpected onslaught of sensation, surrounding him like the pool waters but drowning him like nothing ever had. So much emotion, so much sensation, so much _Keith_. He had to pull back after a bit, hiding his face in Keith's neck while he struggled to catch his breath. 

Much in the same boat, Keith panted lightly as he held onto Lance, carding his fingers through the hair at Lance's nape. "W-wow, Lance. I've never… your mouth is perfect. I've never had a kiss like that." 

Lance nodded against his neck, clinging to him. "N-never?" 

"Mm, not quite like that, no." 

"I-in a good way?" 

"Yes, in a very good way."

That was a relief. He wouldn't want to feel this nice all on his own. "Okay. You should... You should kiss me like that again sometime."

"Definitely," Keith assured him, moving his hand to massage the back of his neck. "I'm gonna kiss you like that a lot." 

Lance smiled, leaning back. "I'd really like that."

"So would I," Keith agreed, returning the smile. 

Lance kissed him again, quick and light but brave, and pushed away. "Will you show me your other tattoos?" 

"Mmhm." Keith turned around, letting Lance see the ones on his back.

"Ooh..." Lance couldn't help but reach out, fingertips circling every phase of the moon as it curved down Keith's spine. The alien head on his right shoulder blade only made him laugh. "So are you interested in space because it's actually amazing or because you think there are aliens?" 

"Oh, there are definitely aliens out there. It's only a matter of time before we come across them." 

Lance laughed, tracing the lines of the alien. "Okay. Well, I'll let you handle it if we do." His eyes lit up when he saw the sharply angled astrological sign on his left shoulder blade. "Scorpio?"

Keith chuckled. "Yeah. My birthday is this month, remember?" 

"Mmhm. I'm just making sure I really recognized the symbol." Lance traced the stylized M-like artwork before he leaned in and softly kissed it. "I've read a few books on astrology. I like it."

His skin tingled where Lance's lips had been, but Keith only smiled. "I'm glad you do."

"Mmhm. I really liked when she or Henry would dump me at the library. Those were always the best days. I got to read whatever I wanted without her supervision."

"I'm sure that felt really good. You felt free those days, huh?" 

"Kind of. I still couldn't leave the library." Lance swam around to see Keith's face while they talked. "Today, I'm free."

He grinned, kicking closer to Lance. "Mmhm. Totally free to do whatever we want." 

"Mmhm. I kissed you in a pool." And touched his tattoos _and_ kissed one. He was feeling pretty proud of himself, really. "It's already the best day ever."

Keith laughed. "Yeah, it's a pretty damn good day. Any day is when I get to spend it with you." 

Lance smiled, but was scanning him for the last tattoo. Arms, chest, neck, three on his back... That only made seven. "Where's your last tattoo?" 

Smirking, Keith turned his head to the side. "The little rainbow on my ear. D'you see it?" 

Lance swam closer, squeaking when Keith took the opportunity to grab his waist. But he only laid his hands on Keith's shoulders, the squeak turning into laughter as he impulsively kissed Keith's cheek and looked up. "Oh!" He had to touch this one too, a fingertip running over the curve. The little stripes of color curved right around his ear. "I like this. Why a rainbow?" 

"Well, because I'm gay. I wanted a rainbow tattoo, but I wanted something subtle. This seemed subtle enough." 

"It is subtle," he agreed, "but... what do rainbows have to do with being gay? It's just light refraction."

Keith chuckled, shaking his head. "It's the symbol of pride and of peace."

"Oh. I guess that's why Henry always yanks me away from rainbow things. One of my approved friends - before I knew they were telling my secrets - told Henry I liked guys too and ever since then, he's been... extra strict about what I wear and who I'm with. Neither of them want me to be very colorful."

"Well, you can be as colorful as you want around me. I'll take you shopping and you can get whatever you want." 

Lance bit his lip. "She searches through my closet every time she shows up."

"Then we'll keep everything at my house."

Lance considered it for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I- I'd really like that."

Keith smiled, kissing his cheek. "Then that's what we'll do. We can get your phone the same day too."

"Yeah, and any day. We can even go after class if you want. I don't actually know your schedule beyond when you tutor me."

"Yeah, I'm free in the afternoons. I'm done by four every day." 

Lance nodded, wondering if Keith was tutoring anyone besides him this semester. He always seemed to have time. "Okay. Go shopping, get dinner? I haven't been shopping in years, but I was always hungry after."

"Me too. We'll definitely do dinner after." 

"Okay. Um. Did you have something in mind for today? We've got time to go out today if you don't."

Keith hummed. "Nope, nothing else planned for today. You wanna go see what we can find?" 

"Mmhm. Can we do lunch with Kosmo first?" 

"Definitely. You miss my dog, huh?" 

"Yeah," was the honest reply. He kissed Keith's cheek and pushed away from it to lay back in the water. "And I don't want her to be alone all day. That's not fair."

"Nah, but she's used to it." Keith swam to the wall, propping his arms up on the edge to lean back on it and watch Lance. "At least until four when I get home."

Lance frowned at the ceiling, stretching his arms over his head with a soft hum. Keith wasn't mentioning his scars so it was easy to forget they were even there. "That's so long, isn't it? We should do our tutoring at your house so Kosmo doesn't have to be alone."

Keith chuckled. Of course he noticed the scars, but he didn't want to make Lance uncomfortable by asking about them. Not outside the comfort of the dorm or his house, at least. "We can do that. Just make sure you don't get too distracted." 

"If I can make it two whole hours without being distracted by you, I think I can make it with her. At least for an hour."

"We'll see if that's true on Monday," Keith teased. 

Lance giggled. "Will you be jealous if she's more distracting than you?" 

"It's a definite possibility." 

"Don't worry. Even if she is, you're just as special."

Keith smiled, tilting his head back to rest on the edge of the pool. "Good. You're really special too, Lance." 

Lance straightened to smile at him, paddling closer. "You make me feel like I am. It's really nice, Keith."

Lifting his head, Keith smiled at him. "You deserve to feel special, sweetheart."

"So do you." Though Lance didn't really think he did anything for Keith. He'd probably been with much more experienced guys who were brave enough and knowledgeable enough to treat him right. Lance barely knew what sex would be between them, too embarrassed to look anything up on Hunk's computer and too smart to try on his own or the school's. He'd just keep going how he was until he had a way to get some answers. Smile a little sad, he traced the paw prints on Keith's chest. "I'll get better, I promise."

"Better?" Keith frowned, straightening up and taking Lance's hand in his, squeezing gently. "What do you mean by better?" 

"At- at being a boyfriend. You should feel special too."

"Baby, I do feel special. You could have your pick of anyone, and you picked me to be your first boyfriend, your first kiss, possibly more. I feel so special." 

Lance shook his head, as amused as he was resigned. "I don't have my pick of anything. You're somebody people see and want. I'm just... I'm easy to forget."

Keith smiled sadly, rubbing his thumb over Lance's hand. "Mm-mm. I'm never gonna be able to forget you, Lance. Other people just can't see that you're that special." 

Probably because he wasn't. Lance made his smile brighten, used to faking whatever emotion was needed in the moment. "I don't need other people. I like you."

Something about the smile seemed off, but Keith didn't call him out. "I like you too. And I don't need anyone else either."

For now. His smile turned a little impish and a lot more sincere. "What about Kosmo?" 

"Well, _yeah_ , but she's not a person." 

"Shh. Don't be mean."

Keith laughed, dragging him closer so he could steal a short kiss. "I'd never be mean to her, or you for that matter." 

Lance blushed, quickly ducking his head. Even Keith's casual kisses made his heart flutter. They definitely made him feel special in a very normal way. This was a normal relationship and it was absolutely wonderful. "I know. Y-You've been amazing from the first minute... m-mi cielo."

"Hmm… What's that mean?" Keith wondered, kissing him yet again. He couldn't get enough of Lance's lips, the way every meeting of their mouths seemed to thrill Lance. 

It was definitely a thrill, his shy smile bright. "'My heaven.' Is it okay if I give you a Spanish petname? I can- I can change it. If you want. It just felt right."

Keith grinned. "No, it's perfect. I like that." 

"Okay, good." Relieved, Lance kissed his cheek and pushed away again. "I'm gonna do a few more laps. I'll try not to hit you again."

"I'll try to stay out of your way," Keith replied, propping himself back up on the edge of the pool. 

"That'd be smart. Just tap me or something if you want me to stop." He slipped off his glasses and set them next to his inhaler again and kicked off the wall, slicing gracefully through the water. 

Keith was content to sit back and observe, a soft smile curving his lips as he watched. Lance was a natural, perfectly executing every stroke, timing his breaths so he could utilize the pool effectively. As much as Keith would have loved to stare at him all day, when a full ten minutes had passed, he gently tapped Lance on the shoulder the next time he swam by. 

He stopped without argument, finding Keith's shoulder as he oriented himself, but didn't reach for his glasses yet. He smiled at his blurry features, happy to have gotten as much time as he had. "Are you bored?" 

"Mm, no, I could watch you all day. But I wanted to do this," Keith murmured, leaning in to kiss him, quick and light. "And also to ask why you don't try out for the swim team." 

"I'm not-" Allowed, he almost said, but his brow furrowed. It was a free day. And he could technically go where he wanted, but it would be very difficult to hide. Lance bit his lip, reaching for and taking two puffs from his inhaler. "I'd like to, but... Between this, my knee, and Marcia, I'm not sure if I'd actually make it."

Keith smiled softly, gently cupping Lance's cheek. "I think you could. I wouldn't want you to risk hurting yourself even more, but… You're really talented, baby."

Lance tipped his head into the touch. "You think so? Maybe I'll practice more this year and try out next fall. If I make it, would you come to the meets?" 

"Definitely. I'll be there to cheer you on." 

Lance smiled, turning his head to kiss his palm. "Thank you. Have you ever been involved in any sports?" 

"I ran cross country and did weightlifting in high school." 

Lance hummed, squeezing Keith's bicep and giggling when he felt him flex. "I believe it. I played soccer through elementary school, but that only made my knee worse. I had to have another surgery a couple years ago and the doctor actually recommended swimming."

Keith smiled, rubbing his thumb on Lance's cheek. "Yeah, I hear that the water helps for some reason. I just don't know the science behind it." 

"It's complicated and there's a lot that says stretching is important with it, so that's where yoga came in too." Enjoying the touch, Lance let his eyes close. "That surgery happened right after I was adopted."

"Hmm…" Keith took the opportunity to kiss him, just a simple brush of lips, but stayed close. "Can I ask what happened to your knee to make it that way?" 

"Mm..." Lance couldn't really shrink back to hide from the question, but kept his eyes closed to soak in the soft, comforting touch. "A car wreck when I was two. I almost lost my leg right at the knee. They fixed it, but not enough to handle some really rough soccer playing. So I blew it out and it's not even mine anymore. It was a complete dislocation and... Yeah. Now it's all metal and plastic."

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby," Keith muttered, resting their brows together. He didn't ask, but was pretty sure that that car wreck was the reason Lance was an orphan too. "Does the swimming really help?" 

"Mmhm." Lance let his lashes flutter, nuzzling Keith's brow. "I was on crutches for a year, but I could swim. Water was the only place I felt normal for a while."

"Yeah, well, you're a natural in the water. You seem like you belong in it." 

They were close enough that Keith's eyes weren't blurry. That vibrant violet made his heart skip a beat. "Thanks. I really do love it, so I'm glad you wanted to come today. This is leagues better than math."

Keith chuckled. "Yeah, it is. The pool is always nice, but it's better now that I'm here with you." 

Relieved that Keith hadn't probed for more details on the wreck, Lance grinned. "You just seem lazy. All you've done is hold onto or watch me."

He shrugged. "I just like to soak in the water. I don't _have_ to actually swim like you over here, Michael Phelps." 

"I'm cuter than Michael Phelps."

"Yeah, you are," Keith laughed. "Plus, I can't kiss Michael Phelps." 

Lance's smile went a little shy. "No, because I want them all."

"Don't worry, baby. You're gonna get them all." 

"I really like you, Keith. You're so much sweeter than you need to be."

He smiled, stealing a light kiss. "I'm sweet enough for you, though. Plus, you still haven't seen how… spicy I can be." 

"Spicy?" 

"It's the only thing I could think of to call it. But I don't want to scare you off, so I'm going to wait a while before I show you what that means." 

Sex, then. He had to mean sex. Color flooded his cheeks, gaze shifting away. "But... You want to show me? One day?" 

The blush made Keith smirk. "Yes, I definitely do. If and when you're ready." 

Lance bit his lip. If there was anyone he could trust to teach him, it was Keith. "W-when," he promised. 

Keith pressed a smiling kiss to his lips. "When. I'm gonna make you feel good." 

It was an exciting promise even though he had little idea of what to expect. He had no doubt that Keith would indeed make him feel good. Amazing, probably. "I know. Um. I'm- I don't know how to change the subject from that."

"It's okay, baby. We should swim for a bit longer before we go to my house for lunch." 

"See? You're really sweet." Lance kissed his cheek and swam back to get his glasses, smiling. "Are you actually going to swim? Because I'd also be okay just leaving to play with Kosmo."

Keith chuckled. "Probably not. We can leave if you want."

"Mmhm. I can't play with Kosmo all the time, but I can swim when..." He pushed his glasses up his nose, realization passing over his features before he grinned, big and bright. "I can swim whenever I want."

His happiness was infectious, making Keith smile. "Yeah, you can."

Lance pulled himself out of the water with ease, but gave his scarred knee a slight, habitual rub. "You, Pidge, and Hunk are seriously the best friends I've ever had. Even before I got adopted, there were some strict rules to follow and, I mean, that's expected. I was little. But... It's different now. You guys have made being forced to come here way worth it. Marcia finally messed up."

"Well, let's just hope she never finds out just how much she did," Keith said, dragging himself up and out of the pool, a little less graceful than Lance. 

"I'll tell her one day when it's safe. I don't want to leave here, but I won't really have a choice if someone's not paying for school. I- You don't deserve to be a secret."

Keith shook his head. "It's okay, sweetheart. As long as we get to be together, I'm perfectly okay with being your secret." 

"Only to them." Lance reached for his hand, all earnest sweetness. "Everyone else can know because I really- I care about you."

"I care about you too, baby," Keith replied, taking his hand and lacing their fingers. "A whole lot." 

Lance smiled. He knew that. Keith showed him every minute they were together. "I care about Kosmo too, so let's get changed and go."

"Mmhm. I just wore my swimsuit, so I'm ready. You could always just change at my house." 

"Oh. Um." Lance hesitated, biting his lip briefly. "I- I don't want to wear shorts on your motorcycle."

"That's okay, baby. I'll wait for you to change then."

"Okay." Lance went to a nearby chair and plucked up his towel, throwing it across his shoulders before picking up his bag. "I'm sorry. I'm just... weird about driving."

Keith shook his head. "You don't have to apologize for that, Lance. I understand." 

Part of him probably did now that he knew Lance had been in a car accident. He was smart enough to probably know who else had been involved in said wreck too. He was a blessing, really, for not asking for more details yet. It really just made Lance want to tell him. "Thank you."

He changed quickly, absolutely swimming in one of Hunk's borrowed shirts. When Keith arched a brow, he blushed and shrugged. "I- I'm being a brat and haven't done laundry in a while. And I was _kinda_ hoping to borrow one of your shirts just to get something without buttons."

Keith smirked slowly. "Mm, I'll let you take one of my shirts. No promises that I'll be able to keep my hands off you, though." 

The blush deepened. "Um... O-okay."

"It's alright, Lance. I'm not gonna try anything until I know you're absolutely ready." 

He nodded, reaching out to take his hand. "Well, your spiciness makes it hard to think, so..."

Keith laughed, taking his hand and squeezing gently. "I'm never gonna live it down that I called myself spicy, am I?" 

"No, but that's okay." He bit his lip, but his eyes were dancing playfully. "I've always liked spice."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Keith replied, kissing the back of his hand. 

Lance grinned, happily walking alongside Keith until they could get to his bike. There was the smallest chill in the air, fall peeking through, but it was a beautiful day. The sun was high, the skies a blinding blue. The color shifted when the helmet was tucked over his head, but he was still delighted. "Next time we swim, you'll have to change or you'll get sick."

"I know." Keith sighed, strapping his own helmet on. "It makes me miss Texas sometimes." 

"Yeah, I miss warmer weather too. I always thought I'd move once I was old enough, but I don't know where to go." He didn't want to be alone anymore. "What's your favorite thing about Texas?" 

"Austin," he answered with no hesitation. "The whole city is amazing." 

"I heard it's got the _best_ food."

"It really does. I'll have to take you sometime." 

Lance's smile faltered, hidden behind the visor. "I'll need an ID first. Somehow."

"We'll get you one," Keith promised. "An ID, a passport, everything." 

"M-maybe... Maybe I can look at ways to get a copy of my birth certificate? And whatever else I'd need for an ID? I've never driven, so I guess I'd have to get a permit first." Lance hummed, nervously optimistic at the thought of getting this new piece of freedom. Next, he'd probably have his own wallet. "We should probably talk about this at home. Your house."

Keith grinned, pressing a kiss to the top of the helmet. "Home, yeah. We can ask Kosmo what she thinks." 

He was so cute sometimes. "I'm sure she has a lot of opinions." 

His smile returned when Keith laughed and he happily climbed onto the bike and snuggled close, happy to be behind him. It felt safe and secure even on the back of a motorcycle, wind whipping over them as they made their way to the house. 

And then Lance happily darted to the door, laughing at Kosmo in the window. "Ay, perrita es muy bonita. She's so excited."

Keith chuckled as he put the helmets away. "Yeah, she always is when I get home."

"I bet, but I didn't see her in the window last time. She sat all patient and perfect." He waved at her, watching her dance on her paws, tail wagging wildly behind her. "Is it because I was a stranger?" 

"Yeah, she knows to behave around people she's never met before. Now that she knows you, expect her to maybe jump up on you when we go inside," he warned. 

"That's fine. She'll be easier to hug." 

Laughing, Keith took his hand and led him the short distance to the front door. He could hear Kosmo’s nails clicking excitedly on the hardwood as he unlocked it, and as soon as he pushed it open, she was outside with them. "Yes, hi, Kosmo. I do see you." 

Lance didn't give her a chance to jump, immediately crouching down to hug her and beaming when his face was bathed in kisses. "Ay, perrita, eres muy linda. Te amo mucho, Kosmo. Hi, princesita. Hi," he greeted, as excited as the dog. But it had been a long time since he'd had someone to love and just as long since someone had loved him. 

Keith smiled down at them, quietly closing the door and bringing Lance's bag into the living room to set it next to the couch. It was clear that Kosmo’s presence had a calming effect on Lance, and Keith just wanted to give them as much time together as possible. "So what do you want for lunch? I'll see if I've got everything here or if I need to order groceries. Better to do it now so it gives them enough time." 

"I hadn't thought about it. What do you have?" Lance wondered, sitting on the floor to give his knee a break. For all her excitement and dancing paws, Kosmo still knew to be gentle with him. He pet her happily, both of them watching Keith. "I'd be fine with leftover lasagna."

"I do have some of that. We can do leftovers. Then I don't have to cook," Keith teased. 

"Mmhm. You can spend more time with me. It's my master plan."

Keith laughed. "It's a good plan." 

"I thought so." He looked down when Kosmo started sniffing his borrowed shirt, smiling. "Yeah, you smell Hunk? He's a little bigger than me, but he's really nice. You'll like him."

"And she'll meet him soon. Definitely for my birthday, but we could always do game night here one night."

"I'd like that. Maybe next weekend? Since your birthday's basically the next." Lance looked up, his smile not dimming. "We can do Clue."

Keith grinned. "Yeah, we can. Me and Hunk can whip something up for dinner. I'm sure he'd like cooking here a lot better than the school's kitchen." 

"Mmhm. Most likely." It would be fun. "And we'll watch the movie and everything?" 

"Yup. I'll make popcorn too." 

Lance nodded, rising so Kosmo could run off and finally greet Keith properly. "I'd like that. Will you go pick me out a shirt now? I feel like I'm wearing a blanket, and I can heat up lasagna. I know how microwaves work."

Keith smiled, kissing the top of Kosmo’s head when she jumped up. "Well, that's good. I had my doubts." 

Lance stuck his tongue out, amused. "Brat."

Laughing, Keith let Kosmo’s front paws fall back to the floor, scratching behind her ear before heading down the hallway to his bedroom. 

Lance, of course, immediately got distracted from food because Kosmo turned her big eyes on him and he was sunk. "Do you have any toys, perrita?" Her ears perked at the word, tail wagging. "Yeah? You like toys? Go get a toy. We'll play."

He smiled when she came back with a stuffed monkey, playfully tugging until she scared him with a growl. He took a step back with a gasp and she dropped the toy, trotting up to comforting rub her muzzle against his palm. "Okay," he murmured, letting her soothe him. "Is that a playful sound? Why don't we try fetch, perrita linda? Do you play fetch?" Her ears perked and she snatched the toy up again, Lance following her to a basket of toys in the corner that made him grin. "Spoiled, huh? That's okay. I think he wants to spoil me too, and I think I'm gonna let him."

He scratched her behind the ears and took the tennis ball when it was offered, her tail wagging and her tongue lolled in a doggy grin. "Okay. How about we go outside?" She was out the dog door before he'd finished the question, so he followed with a soft laugh and went down the porch steps to join her in the grass, happy to throw the ball across a yard big enough to make his eyes widen. There was so much room for her. It was amazing. Keith really was lucky to have his parents, their support and obvious love. It wasn't jealousy that made him tear up, but a deep rooted sorrow in not having the same. He'd never have his family back, but he was glad for Keith and he was very glad for Kosmo. She had a happy home and her tumbling over herself in all the eager excitement to get a small yellow tennis ball made laughing the tears away easy while he waited for Keith to find them. 

When he didn't find them still in the living room, Keith assumed they'd gone outside anyway. Kosmo was a playful pup, and she and Lance had hit it off so well. Shirt in hand, Keith wandered outside into the yard, smiling as he watched a tennis ball go soaring across the grass, followed by a very excited Kosmo.

"I see you figured out she plays fetch." 

"Mmhm." And since he trusted Keith not to make fun of him, he admitted, "We were playing tug and her growling kinda scared me. So we came out here."

"Oh. Yeah, she gets kinda rowdy playing tug. I need to try to train her out of that."

"No, it's more my fault. She apologized in her own way. I just... She's fine. It's me."

Keith shook his head. "No, baby, she's still new to you, so you weren't expecting it. Her growls can be really scary sometimes, even to me."

"Okay. I just don't want you to be upset with her or anything. I know she didn't mean it."

"Yeah, I know she didn't. I'm glad you know that too." Smiling, Keith kissed his cheek before handing over the shirt. "Here, so you can change out of that blanket." 

"Thanks. I knew it would be too big when I grabbed it and I didn't exactly ask for permission, so I appreciate this. I'll be responsible and do laundry tomorrow. Hunk showed me how to use the machines, so I should be fine." And Keith had seen him shirtless already, so he stepped back and pulled off the borrowed yellow one and pulled on the borrowed black one. Though a smidge tight across his shoulders, it fit much better than Hunk's and he liked the colorful planets over his chest. He smiled brightly before looking up. "I really like this."

"I really like it too. It looks really good on you." 

"You think so?" Lance happily turned in place. "I haven't worn a normal t-shirt since I was ten."

"Really? Marcia makes you wear button-ups and sweater vests all the time?" 

"And khakis. I'm expected to be used to wearing business casual, but I think it's really because it makes me look like I was raised by rich white people."

"Mm, it does make you look like that." Keith smiled softly, taking his hand. "But don't worry. You can get anything you want when we go shopping. You can wear normal clothes for a change." 

Lance smiled, squeezing his hand. "I told Kosmo you wanted to spoil me. It sounds like I'm right."

"I _do_ want to spoil you. You should let me." 

It was one thing to say it to Kosmo, another to Keith. He didn't want to take advantage of his generosity or his money. He gazed at their hands, watching their fingers lace. "I... Okay, but I'm gonna behave. I don't want... I don't want you to think I'm in this for money. I'm- I like _you_."

Keith lifted their joined hands to kiss the back of Lance's. "I know, sweetheart. You liked me before you knew I was rich. I trust you." 

"Okay. Then you have to give me a limit. Please. Like... Like three outfits or something."

"I can do that. Three outfits… today."

Lance laughed. "I'm okay with that. You can give me presents once you know my size, if you want," he teased, not expecting him to. "But I'm- Oh! I forgot about food."

"I saw." Keith smirked. "But it won't take that long to heat up, so come on." 

"Okay. I'm kinda excited, so I'm not really hungry. But I also skipped breakfast and swam so I'm gonna get dizzy if I don't eat but I'm- I'm happy. Today. And it's still early."

"Mmhm. We have the whole day to do whatever we want. But you're gonna eat first." 

"I will." Lance let Keith lead him back inside, smiling when he whistled for Kosmo to follow. "The way you worry about me is really sweet."

"I just want to make sure you're taken care of, and that you're taking care of yourself." Keith squeezed his hand, smile soft. "You deserve someone to look after you." 

"It's nice to have someone care." Lance looked up, smiling as if that wasn't a sad thing to say. But it wasn't, really, not to him. It was just the truth. "You always seem like you do."

For Keith, it _was_ sad to realize that Lance's adoptive family didn't care for him. Sure, they'd clothed him and fed him, given him a place to live, but what about after all that? Obviously he didn't get a lot of affection and it broke Keith's heart. "I do care about you, baby. So much." 

"I know, mi cielo. Eres muy especial. 'You're very special.'"

"So are you, Lance." He leaned in for a quick kiss, dropping his hand once they reached the island in the kitchen. "Now you have to tell me how much lasagna you want." 

"Just a small piece. I don't need a lot."

Keith hummed, cutting him a small piece and then an extra little sliver, throwing a garlic knot on the plate as well and tossing it all in the microwave. "So since we watched one of my favorite movies last night, what's one of yours? Maybe we can watch it tonight or sometime this week." 

Lance hummed, watching Kosmo flop onto the floor to avoid looking at him. "It... It's kinda embarrassing. Have... Have you ever seen Annie? The good version from the 80s, not the lame remake."

"No, I haven't seen either, but, I mean, I know who Annie is." 

Lance nodded, still not looking up. "We don't have to watch it. It's- It's basically a girl movie a-and a musical, so... We can watch something else."

Keith reached across the counter to cup his cheek, turning his head. "No, we'll watch it. I want to."

"Are you sure?" Lance tipped into the touch. "It's d-dumb for an orphan to like a movie all about them."

"No it's not. You obviously felt connected to her in some way. I want to watch it with you to figure that out, and because it means something to you." 

Lance nodded. It did mean a lot to him, though adoption and orphanages were nothing as depicted in the film. Maybe they'd been accurate in the thirties, but he didn't know. He'd just wanted to be loved like her, to have two parents who would be happy to take care of him. It hadn't happened that way, but he hadn't given up on love yet. "I'll try not to sing along, but no promises."

Keith chuckled. "That's okay, baby. I won't mind if you do." 

"We'll see. I might be an awful singer."

"No," Keith argued gently, "I'm sure you sing as beautifully as you look." 

Lance giggled, lifting a hand to lay it on Keith's. "We'll see. What store are you going to take me to?" 

Keith smiled. "I figured we'd just go to the mall and walk around, see what catches your eye." 

"Ooh. Okay. I've never been to a mall."

"Oh, well, then you are in for a treat. There's about a hundred stores in the one we're going to, so it's got pretty much everything." 

"That's... _so_ much." He bit his lip, using Keith's palm to largely muffle his question. "Shoes too?" 

Keith laughed. "Yeah, shoes too. Anything you want." 

"Just one pair." He wanted sneakers, eyes lighting up. Keith was giving him normalcy and there was no better gift. "I'm excited to get some weekend clothes."

"Well, you can wear them during the week, too. Just make sure Marcia doesn't catch you in them." 

"If you're going to keep them here, it doesn't make sense to wear them during the week. It's not like I sleep here."

He could, but Keith kept his mouth shut. It was too early in their relationship to suggest anything of the sort, but Keith had no doubt that Lance would end up living with him at some point. "Yeah, but I do see you during the week too, so I could always just bring them to you and take them home." 

"That's complicated and silly for three outfits." And he didn't want people to stare at him, sure they would after months of him in his approved clothes. Lance kissed his palm. "They'll be weekend clothes, and I'm okay with that. It's better than nothing."

"True. Okay, but I don't want to see you in a sweater vest and khakis when you're here, you got it?" Keith teased. 

"I'm okay with that." Lance let him go when the microwave dinged, hunger rising. "You'll just have to show me where I can change. I haven't seen anything besides this and the backyard."

"Well, you can use my room or the bathroom. I'll give you a small tour after lunch." 

"Okay." Lance took his plate and the fork he was handed and took them to the table, abandoning them to return to the kitchen. "Can I look in the fridge for a drink? Do you want anything?" 

"Uh, yeah, grab me a soda. You can have anything you want out of there." 

"Okay." Though he'd only been there once, Lance felt at home in Keith's space. He felt comfortable enough to wander the places he'd already been, comfortable enough to take two root beers out of the fridge and detour on the way to the table. He kissed Keith's cheek, smile bright. "Thank you for doing all of this for me. You really don't have to."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. You're my boyfriend, Lance, but you're also my friend. I like to take care of my friends." 

Lance wished he could take care of him in return, but the most he could do was accept Keith's gifts with a smile and show him how much he cared. He bobbed up, capturing Keith's lips in a small, sweet kiss, and quickly carried the two sodas to the table while his blush rose. 


	5. Chapter 5

The rooms in Keith's house were so big. It was truly impressive for someone who was still just a poor Cuban boy at heart. It was so different to see someone still in college with their own place, even if the furniture was provided by a landlord and the walls unpaintable. Lance still enjoyed the little personal touches he found, especially in the bedroom Keith had claimed. 

He liked the picture on the dresser, a framed photo of a younger, grinning Keith flanked by two people who were obviously his parents. He and his mother had almost the same face, his build just as lean as hers too. His hair was more like the broad-shouldered man, the kindness in his eyes familiar. They looked like a good family, solid and caring. Lance looked up from it, smile playful instead of yearning. He wanted family. 

"Your parents are hot."

It was so unexpected that Keith just had to laugh. "Well, they made _me_ , so…" 

"They did a great job." Pleased with himself, Lance set the picture back down. "Your house is really nice, Keith. I like it."

Keith smiled, kissing his cheek. "Thanks. It's temporary for now, obviously, but it works and I like it." 

"Do you plan to rent all year or just for school?" 

"All year, yeah. It doesn't make sense to give it up over the summer." 

"No." Lance looked around, frown slight. "Is it bad that I'm a little jealous?" 

"No, you're allowed to feel that way, baby. But you're always welcome here whenever you want to come over." 

Lance nodded, smile returning as he met Keith's gaze. He didn't think Keith would let him come over quite that much. Besides, he liked living with Hunk. He was a great roommate and a fantastic friend. The way they were now worked. It was safe. "Thank you. So this is it? I think I've seen everything now."

"Well, you haven't seen the bathroom yet," Keith pointed out. "So you know where it is. You can use mine through that door right there." 

He'd seen the guest bathroom already, so the offer had excited nerves bubbling under his skin. Keith really did seem to want him around a lot or maybe it was so he'd know after they were finally able to spend some time together in bed. He glanced over at it, blush blossoming before he turned away to open the door and his embarrassment faded on a gasp. The master bathroom was _luxurious_. The tub especially caught his eye, his slow sigh pure envy. Though there were two bathrooms this nice in his adopted parents' home, Lance was rarely able to indulge. Only when they went out and left him alone did he spend time lounging in a tub, listening to soft music and just enjoying _peace_. 

"I would kill for a tub like this in the dorm. We only have a standing shower."

"Yeah?" Keith walked up behind him, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. "You are more than welcome to come over and use it if you want."

Lance shivered at the unexpected kiss as well as from the idea. Bathing in Keith's bathroom seemed... risqué. It was all too easy to imagine Keith slipping in behind him, hands on his skin. He bit his lip. "O-only if that means I can take a bubble bath."

Keith grinned. "Of course you can. We'll have to get you some stuff when we go shopping, then. I don't normally take bubble baths." 

Lance ducked his head, wondering if Keith knew right where his mind had gone. "Th-then you're not t-taking baths right."

"Hmm, well, I don't usually take baths." He kissed him again, nosing at the skin behind his ear. "Why are you stuttering again? I figured out you only do that when you're nervous or embarrassed." 

Lance bit his lip, eyes closing. He wasn't embarrassed or nervous so much as he was turned on, which admittedly had elements of both since he really shouldn't be feeling that so easily. A wet, soapy, naked Keith was a lot more potent to his imagination than anything else, especially now that he knew what Keith looked like wet. That and the soft attention behind him... "Mm-mm. I'm f-fine."

"Uh-huh," Keith murmured, but didn't press. "Well, I'm definitely taking you into the bath store then."

Lance nodded, making a soft sound that betrayed _exactly_ how he was feeling. And if this was how Keith made him feel without trying, he was a little terrified by what he'd be able to do when he _was_. Any contact between them would probably be very intense. "O-okay."

Keith smiled against his neck. "You can get whatever you want, okay?" 

"You," he sighed then quickly stepped forward, burying his face in his hands. "I- I m-mean-" 

Keith's smile slowly shifted into a smirk, reaching out to gently pull Lance's hands away from his face. "Hey, baby… It's okay to feel that way. I want you too, but I also want to wait until you're comfortable and ready for things, okay? But don't feel embarrassed about that. It's normal."

"I- I'm j-just not used t-to it and with you, it's... It's so _strong_."

"Mm, that's a good thing, baby. I feel a very strong want for you, too." 

Lance bit his lip, but nodded. Somehow, he didn't doubt it. "Okay. Were you just teasing or c-can I really get something from the bath store?" 

"I wasn't teasing, sweetheart. You can get anything you want from the bath store." 

Lance nodded, shoulders relaxing and hands shifting to hold Keith's instead of laying limp. "Is there one at the mall?" 

"Mmhm, a really nice one. They've got all sorts of stuff." 

"Okay." He'd keep himself limited there too, but gave Keith's hand a squeeze. "I think I'm even more excited. Are you ready to go?" 

Keith nodded, smiling. "Ready if you are." 

Lance nodded eagerly, stepping forward to bob up and press their lips together for a firm, happy kiss. "I'm ready."

\----

The mall was enormous. Lance could only look around in awe as they entered through the food court, clinging to Keith's hand. He'd passed this mall before and, admittedly, it was uncomfortably close to his adopted parents, but he'd take the chance. He'd never heard of Marcia or Henry coming near the mall anyway. They'd certainly never brought him, so it would be fine. He hadn't even told his concerns to Keith, wary that putting a voice to them would make them reality. He was in a t-shirt, clinging to a boy's hand. Any friends of theirs would see his skin and their hands before they even bothered to recognize him. 

He just wanted to enjoy himself on his free day, so gazed around in pure fascination as they walked through the large food court - one shop boasting gluten-free pretzels that piqued his interest - and into the mall proper. It was two floors high, Lance's wide eyed gaze landing on escalators and following them up to everything above. "Wow," he breathed. 

Keith squeezed his hand, amused by his boyfriend's awe. "Big, right?" 

"Yeah! Where do we even start?" 

"Anywhere you want. We could go upstairs and start at the escalator or walk around down here." 

"Um... Where's the bath store? I want to go there last, so-" He paused. "How's all this gonna fit on your motorcycle?" 

"I've got some storage under the seat when the helmets aren't in there, and I'm going to buy a new backpack anyway, so we can stuff things in there." 

Lance nodded. "Okay. Where do you want to get a backpack from? We can look there first."

"Mm, I'm not sure yet. I definitely want a galaxy print backpack, so wherever we can find one of those." 

"I bet almost anywhere." Lance smiled, all-but bouncing alongside Keith as they made their way to the escalators. The bath store, he was told, was downstairs so they'd start up first. 

And it was fascinating. Every store had something different, though there were windows over windows of mannequins dressed in questionable to fashionable items. They were a good indicator of whether or not he wanted to go inside, though the majority of them were feminine clothes. It sparked something in him, a very secret, quiet desire he'd never admitted aloud to anyone before. He didn't plan to admit it to Keith either, forcing his attention on masculine clothes. His freedom day wasn't _quite_ that free. He was sure Keith would laugh if he asked. 

They buzzed in and out of stores, Lance fascinated by each and every one. It was definitely an adventure. Finally, they veered into a darker-toned store lit by blacklights. Lance's eye was caught by all the bags and belts and jewelry lining one wall. There were all kinds of rings in a case, Lance's eyes widening when he saw one sign that said 'nipple piercings.' _Wow_. A quick turn had him eye to eye with tongue rings in a case, turning Lance's cheeks pink as he thought of the way Keith's felt exploring his mouth, but he pointed at a little rainbow alien head. "That one's very you."

Keith glanced at it and laughed. "Yeah, it is. I think I might get it, actually." 

Lance giggled. "I'm surprised you don't already have one like that."

"I know. It must be new, because I've never seen it before." 

"Definitely get it. I like seeing what tongue rings you wear every day. They're always different."

Keith stuck his tongue out, showing off the one he had in today, just a simple rainbow peace sign. "Different, but similar too. I am getting this one though." 

Lance smiled, nodding. "I like it. Do you ever change your eyebrow one? I've only seen the black."

"Sometimes. I don't have a lot of eyebrow jewelry." 

"Oh." Lance reached up, thumb brushing across Keith's eyebrow but not quite touching the piercing. "Will you put in different ones when we get back? Just so I can see?" 

Keith smiled, cupping his cheek and kissing him quickly. "Of course, baby."

Grinning, Lance stepped back to keep exploring the store while Keith got the attention of the worker on duty. There was a lot of memorabilia that he didn't understand or recognize, though he recognized the pot leaves decorating things from school drug PSAs and Henry's strict no-drugs policy. He didn't have enough of an interest to have an opinion, but they didn't get his interest as much as the variety of galaxy things. T-shirts and bags - including a backpack he'd have to show Keith - and belts and hats and wallets. He picked one up that just looked blue, but the opposite side was a swirl of reds and it made him smile. It was their favorite colors. 

He looked up when Keith made his way over, smiling. "I found backpacks."

Keith glanced at the wall, grinning as he wrapped his arms around Lance from behind. "Perfect. Which one do you like the best?" 

He closed the wallet and set it aside so he could lay his hands on Keith's arm and lean into him, enjoying being cuddled close. There was a bag depicting a bright blue streak of color being surrounded by rich reds that he pointed at immediately. "That one."

"Mm, that's a nice one. I like that it has both of our colors on it."

"Me too." And maybe it suited just a little too well, but Lance didn't care. He was happy he was wrapped up so securely, made to feel safe and cared for. He hadn't felt either in too many years. "Is it your favorite, though? You don't have to get it just because I like it."

"Yeah, I really do like that one," Keith murmured. "And I wanted your opinion. We're on the same page." 

Lance tipped his head back, laying it on Keith's shoulder so he could turn his head and nuzzle into his neck. "Good."

"Mmhm. And don't think I didn't see you eyeing that wallet. If you like it, grab it up." 

Lance plucked at Keith's sleeve. "I... I _do_ like it, but you know I don't have anything to put in it."

"Not yet you don't. We're going to get you your ID and stuff, and I'll help you find other things to put in it." 

He supposed he could take his school ID off a lanyard and put it in there for the time being. He smiled, pressing a soft kiss to Keith's neck before he broke away to pick up the wallet and the bag. "I think we're good here, then. I still don't know which clothes store to go into. There are _so_ many."

Keith chuckled, taking the items from him so they could checkout. "I know. It's a little overwhelming, but just pick one that you liked the mannequins in and we'll start there." 

"Okay. I think finding guy clothes is so easy, though. I'm gonna be done in ten minutes."

"Well, yeah, but I also saw you looking at some of those cute skirts." Keith glanced at him with a smirk. "We can go into that store too, if you want." 

Color shot into his face, mortified that he could be so obvious. "N-no. I j-just- They l-look good on the m-mannequins. That's a-all."

"Uh-huh. We're gonna go in at least one store so you can look at them. Try a couple on, it's not gonna hurt anything." 

"P-people'll look at m-me," he whispered, giving up on denial to sink into embarrassment. Between the foster care system and his adopted parents, there was a lot of negativity tucked into a simple desire to wear cute skirts. They were "girl" clothes and he'd been sheltered enough that he'd never heard of a man ever wearing such things. Surely, then, it was weird and wrong. Wasn't it? 

"Yeah, 'cause you're hot and you in a skirt would, like, quadruple your attractiveness. Don't worry about what other people think. Whatever makes you happy should be enough." 

Lance bit his lip, silently waiting for Keith to check out and quiet as a mouse as they walked by a few stores. His mind was reeling and Keith, bless him, let him work through it in his own way and in his time. He eventually stopped, their joined hands pulling Keith to one too. The window had masculine and feminine clothes on mannequins, a plus as he really didn't think he'd manage walking into a store with _only_ feminine clothes. But his heart was still racing, beating hard in his chest as he prepared himself to actually admit this aloud. But the skirt in the window was simple, high-waisted and pleated and a nice navy blue. He didn't like the blouse paired with it, not wanting to buy a single shirt with buttons, but he could find something else. He _could_ if Keith really let him. 

"Do you... Is it r-really okay?" 

Keith smiled, squeezing his hand gently and nodding. "Of course, baby. I want you to be happy. And, you know, it'd be a huge plus for me to see you in a skirt like that," he teased. 

Lance rocked back on his heels, biting his lip. "It would?" 

"Hell yeah. I saw your legs at the pool earlier. It'd be a shame to keep them constantly hidden by those awful khakis you're forced to wear." 

Lance's lips quirked, shy and sweet. "Okay. I... I really want to try- try on that skirt."

"Then you will," Keith decided, smiling as he pulled him into the store. "Let's go find it." 

Smile brightening, Lance kept close to Keith's side as they stepped into a section of skirts. He hid behind his shoulder when a worker asked if they needed help, amazed when she didn't even bat an eye at them when Keith told her they were fine but would need a changing room. _Wow_. Maybe it was a little more normal than he thought? 

When they found the skirt, Keith bundled three sizes into his arms when it became clear that Lance had no idea what size he needed in _anything_. His attention shifted to the tops, gaze bright as he scanned the available sweaters. "Is- is this gonna count against my three outfits?" 

"No, baby. You get whatever you want, okay? I'm spoiling you today." 

Lance grinned and bounced to the sweaters, fingers running over the soft material with a pleased little hum. He knew what he liked on others, tastes leaning more towards preppy and casually hipster, so wanted to aim there first. "I want a big sweater. Big and soft a-and warm since it's basically fall. What do you think?"

"Mmhm, like cashmere? I think an oversized sweater would look perfect on you." 

"Cashmere's way too..." Lance trailed off, fingers gently running over a cream-colored sweater. It was cashmere, and no matter what Marcia or Henry said, it wasn't too good for him. "Never mind. It- I get to do what I want today." He quickly found a large and an extra large, adding them to the pile of skirts he had draped over his arm. "This is way softer than the stupid vests."

"And way cuter." Smirking, Keith leaned in for a kiss. "Go ahead and try them on. Or if there's something else you want out here…" 

Lance shook his head, delighted by how much Keith was really willing to let him do. "I don't know. Do you think you can find me a pair of jeans while I change? I think... I think I want skinny jeans. Will those make my legs look good? Do you think?" 

"Oh, sweetheart, _yes_. Skinny jeans would make your legs look even more gorgeous. What size are you in pants? I'll see what I can find." 

Lance shrugged, though he flushed in pleasure. Keith was so very good to him. It made him want to look good for him. "I don't know? I don't have hips like yours, but probably close to you. And... if there's anything else you want me to try, I will. I want to dress up for you."

Keith smirked, wrapping his arms around Lance's waist and drawing him close for a kiss. "Yeah? You want to be a good boy and look all pretty for me?" he murmured, low enough that only Lance could hear. 

His eyes went wide, color filling his cheeks as heat flooded him. He had to lift his free hand and curl it in Keith's shirt to keep his balance. He hadn't counted on Keith actually being into the idea like _that_ , but was willing to go along with him. "Y-yes. I'll be good."

Keith kissed him again firmly. "Good. Now go get changed so I can see how those look on you."

Lance nodded, but tugged his shirt. "Will you- Come with me. Just so you know where I am." And could defend him if someone said anything because he would leave if anyone so much as looked at him funny. 

"Yeah, of course. Then we can find jeans for you together." 

"No, you can go find other things after I'm in the dressing room. I just need you to know where I am. Then when you come back with jeans and whatever else, I'll show you this outfit."

"Okay, baby. Let's go find the dressing rooms, then." 

Lance nodded, holding onto his hand as they wandered to the back. The same sales clerk smiled as she gave Lance his own room, writing his name on a little whiteboard next to the door and cheerfully gushing over the sweater he'd picked. It was the nicest reaction he ever could've hoped for, so he felt a little better about the whole situation and safe enough to kiss Keith's cheek and send him off with a bright smile. 

And then his heart started pounding all over again, staring at the skirts - the _skirts_ \- with wide eyes. He could hardly believe Keith was comfortable with this, was attracted to it apparently. Lance had never considered that it could be someone's Thing and was thrilled to find that it was Keith's. That thrill, eager to see his reaction, finally propelled him into exchanging the unfortunate khakis for the pretty navy fabric. He loved it, gasping when he twirled. The pleats flirted over his thighs and, yes, he did have nice legs. The skirt made them look longer and its high waist made his own look a little curvier. He loved it. And, after throwing on the sweater, he loved it _more_. 

The whole outfit made him beam, his bright eyes reflected back at him as he turned this way and that to try and see himself from every angle. He did look pretty in it. Comfortable, even confident. It was an amazing feeling and he was still beaming when he heard a knock and Keith's questioning call. Though his cheeks pinkened a little, Lance opened the door for him and took a turn. "What do you think?" 

His eyes were immediately drawn to Lance's legs, licking his lips as he watched the fabric swirl around them. He tore his gaze away, however, to look at the rest of the outfit. The skirt, of course, was gorgeous, and the sweater even more so. It matched the skirt beautifully, along with Lance's own natural skin tone, and one sleeve draped over one shoulder, offering a tantalizing peek of skin. Keith smiled, nodding. "It's perfect." 

"You think so? I picked the biggest sweater because I- I like how it looks on my shoulders and the sleeves are so long." And he loved Keith's eyes on his legs, the way they kept falling to them. It made him feel wanted, beautiful. "Do you think I could wear this Saturday? Around Hunk and Pidge? I don't think they'd make fun of me, do you?" 

Keith shook his head. "Mm-mm, I don't think they would. Hunk is your best friend, and a pretty understanding guy, and Pidge just wouldn't care." 

Lance smiled, fussing with the end of the skirt. "Maybe... Maybe I can wear it the rest of today? Once we get back h- to your house."

"Yeah, that'd be great. You can get comfortable in it and then I'll wash it for you." 

Lance bit his lip. "Okay. What else did you bring me?"

Keith smiled, handing over his armful. "A couple pairs of skinny jeans, in denim, black, and red. Plus a shirt I'd like you to try on." 

"Red?" he wondered, more amused than surprised. "I've never seen red jeans."

"Mmhm. They're more like a maroon than red. I just want to see them." 

Lance nodded. Whatever Keith wanted. "I'll try them next if you want." The shirt surprised him, the soft shade of pink clearly from the women's section. Curious, he set the pants down on the chair in the dressing room so he could hold it up. The sleeves were a little long, but flowy, and the material was soft. He smiled, holding it a little closer and smiling at Keith. "This is pretty."

Keith smiled softly, nodding. "Yeah, I thought so too. I think it'll look really nice on you." 

"I'm gonna try it with the skirt. Wait there." He closed the door in Keith's face, quickly exchanging the sweater for the soft blouse. He liked the way it looked, flowing down his torso and flaring a little just past his elbows. Excited, he swung the door open again and grinned. "Look! It's _so_ pretty, Keith."

"It really is. It looks good on you, baby," Keith complimented, smiling. "I'm adding that to the bag." 

Lance bit his lip, uncertainty passing over for only a moment before he nodded. If Keith wanted to spoil him, the very least he could do was accept the gifts. "Yes, please."

"Good. Now try on your jeans too and let me know what you think." 

"I will. We should go somewhere else to find more shirts. I want to see what else there is." Smiling, he closed the door again and put his borrowed shirt back on and then the maroon jeans. They were a little low at the waist and they definitely clung to his skin. He liked the way they looked with his skin tone, so opened the door with another smile to show himself off. "I like these too. I almost think I should let you pick out everything."

"Mmhm, that's probably a smart choice," Keith teased. 

Lance stuck his tongue out, feeling bold enough to step forward and wind his arms around Keith's neck. "I picked the sweater and the skirt. They looked good."

Keith grinned, arms wrapping around his waist. "They did look good. You've got nice taste." 

"I just know what I've wanted to wear for years." Lance rubbed their noses together, light and playful. "Thank you for letting me."

"Of course, baby. I'm glad you're happy with it." 

"I really am. You really make me happy, Keith."

Smiling, Keith leaned closer for a sweet kiss. "Good. That makes _me_ happy." 

Lance giggled, but broke out of the hug to step back into the changing room. "I'm gonna see if these fit too, but I bet they will. I don't know _what_ goes with these pants, but I like them a lot."

"We'll find something eventually," Keith promised. "But the maroon really does look good on you." 

"I bet the blue does too, but... I'm gonna make you wait to see those."

"You tease," Keith accused, but couldn't be mad since Lance was finally starting to come out of that shell. "But that's okay. Seeing you in these and the skirt is definitely enough to fuel some fantasies for a few days." 

Lance paused with his hand on the doorknob, leaning against the doorjamb and biting his lip. "You... You fantasize about me?" 

"Of course I do. How could I not?" But he didn't want to embarrass Lance or worse, make him feel pressured. "You're gorgeous and amazing, sweetheart. It'd be kind of impossible not to." 

Knowing that would fuel Lance's own fantasies, so he gave him a small, shy smile and closed the door to try on the other pants Keith had brought him. It was so nice to be in regular clothes, so nice to feel _normal_. He hated that he was back in his khakis the next time he opened the door, but he had the clothes he wanted and the extra sizes ready to be put on the return rack. "Do you think I can change after we buy these? There are bathrooms nearby; I saw them."

"Mmhm. Eager to get out of those awful pants of yours, huh?" 

" _Yes_. They're just so... shapeless." And he hadn't been allowed to pick them, to try them on and decide for himself. They were always a little too big, a little uncomfortably baggy, and he wanted something new. He wanted _his_ choice. "And it's my free day. I should get to wear what I want."

Keith was glad to see him embracing it, smiling widely. "You definitely should. You can change after we checkout. I'd love to walk you around in that cute outfit." 

Considering he mostly held pants and only one real outfit, Lance had a feeling he knew what Keith meant. But to walk around the mall in a skirt... Was that allowed? "Which one?" 

"Well, I'd love to see you in the skirt, but if you're not comfortable with it yet, the black jeans and that pink shirt would look cute together too." 

He loved Keith for thinking of options. He never tried to force anything on him. He was a sweet guy who never made Lance feel stupid. It made it so much easier to ask, "Am I allowed to wear the skirt here?"

Keith cocked his head, confused at the question. "Yeah, why wouldn't you be allowed to?" 

"I'm... I'm not a girl," he mumbled. 

_Oh_. God, he'd almost forgotten how sheltered Lance was. "No, but I like that about you. And you're allowed to wear whatever you want, as long as all the important bits are covered." 

Lance bit his lip, nodding after a moment. "Can I think about it?" 

Keith smiled. "Of course, baby. Just don't do it if it makes you uncomfortable. We can work up to it." 

"Okay. I know I don't want to wear the skirt on your bike, so... I might wear the jeans and the shirt just to make it easier. That's okay?" 

"I hadn't even thought about that. That's a good idea. You can just wear it at home." 

The easy acceptance perked him up and he'd still be wearing something pretty for Keith and he'd be able to show off the black jeans, which had made him feel a little cool in the dressing room. He hid partly behind Keith while the clothes were checked out, though the clerk didn't tease him in any way. It was another relief in the whole situation. 

He happily skipped into the nearest bathroom and changed, removing tags and feeling free. It was a wonderful feeling and he was so grateful to Keith for letting him experience it. He bounced out, showing himself off to Keith with a bright smile. "Do you like it?" 

Keith grinned. "I love it. Those jeans look really good on you and that shirt is perfect." 

"I really like the sleeves this length. I want a guy shirt that's like this." But Lance set the bag down beside Keith on the bench and boldly sat right in Keith's lap. His cheeks were pink, but his smile was bright. "Do I look good enough to actually deserve being your boyfriend?" 

"Oh, sweetheart, I like you for you, not just your looks. But you do look amazing." 

Lance kissed his cheek, arms wrapping around his neck. "I want to look good for you, though. I... I like when you look at me."

Keith smiled, winding his arms around Lance's waist. "Yeah? How does it make you feel when I look at you?" 

"Warm," he murmured. "Special. A little... bubbly in my gut. I don't know what to do with it all."

"I know, it can be a little overwhelming. But it's a really good feeling, and you could, you know, let yourself just _feel_ it. When you're alone." 

Oh, he knew what to do when he was alone. "I, um, I do. It's when I'm with you that I don't know how to handle it. I just know I like it a-and I want more."

Keith's smile softened. "Well, whenever you're ready we can try some things. Start small, you know?" 

And there were the bubbles. Lance shivered in his lap. "L-like what?" 

"Well, we can make out a bit, maybe do some grinding if you'd be into that. Or I could touch you if you'd let me." 

He wanted to let him, but wasn't sure how that would go. He'd probably come embarrassingly fast and he didn't know what to do for Keith in return. But grinding sounded interesting, a good step in mutual pleasure, especially with plenty of kissing. "Okay. You might kill me, but I think that'd be a really good way to go."

Keith laughed. "Mmhm, that's how I'd wanna go." 

"I don't think I'd be able to kill you, sorry. You'll have to choose a different way to die." Or a different person, though that thought bothered him too much to say aloud. "Just don't go too soon, okay? I want to keep you a while." 

"I want to keep you too," Keith murmured. "But don't think that you can't kill me, 'cause you absolutely could." 

"I barely know how to kiss you," Lance protested. 

"That might be true, but I can tell you're a fast learner. You're gonna be amazing." 

Lance blushed, kissing his cheek again. "I'll do my best. But I'm ready to keep shopping. Just a few more shirts and then maybe you'll get me a gluten free cinnamon pretzel."

Keith grinned. "Baby, I'll get you anything you want." 

"Promise? I saw the sign in the food court and got hopeful."

"Definitely. All you have to do is ask." 

"Okay. But shirts first. Only a couple more. You've got me a lot already and I don't want to get so much that I can't enjoy it all."

He was so sweet and unnecessarily considerate, given that Keith was basically telling him to go wild. "Okay, baby. And then the bath store after pretzels, then we can go home." 

Lance nodded, smiling. "I don't want Kosmo to be all alone all day, so yes. That sounds perfect."

"It really does." Keith kissed him quickly before rising from the bench, lifting Lance easily with him. "Let's get going then." 

Lance gasped, clinging to him. "Oh, wow. Um. You should p-put me down."

"Hmm… Why?" 

"Because! We're not home, Keith."

He chuckled, kissing him again before setting him down. "Alright, fine. There you go." 

"Brat," he accused playfully, picking up their shopping bags before Keith could. "I do, um, I like that you can pick me up."

"Yeah? Does it get you all hot and bothered?" 

"Mmhm." It seemed silly to lie. "Everything about you does."

Keith smiled. "Good. Glad to hear it. Everything about you turns me on too." 

"R-really?" 

"Oh yeah. I told you, you're a recurring theme in my fantasies." 

Lance swayed a little, smile shy but eyes so very happy. It was such a far cry from who he'd been the day they'd met. "You'll have t-to teach me so I can f-fulfill them."

"I absolutely will. With any luck, you'll never wanna not have sex." 

_Wow_. Lance bit his lip, gaze scanning Keith up and down. He didn't think that would be a problem. "We'll have to go to classes still, but..."

"Unfortunately," Keith teased. "If I had my way, I'd keep you in bed all day." 

"W-we'd need a free day." It was almost comfortable to joke about it, his own inexperienced excitement the only thing making him stutter. He still didn't know what sex between them would be. Just grinding with clothes off? Hands? He'd heard of blowjobs in passing, but only pictured two people breathing on each other and how was that exciting? He really just needed access to an unrestricted internet connection so he could figure some things out _before_ he fell into bed with Keith and made an idiot of himself. 

Lance shifted a bag up his arm and took Keith's hand, leading him back to the escalators. He wanted to see what the lower level had to offer. "Are you gonna get anything for yourself? Besides the backpack and the tongue ring."

"I don't know yet. I haven't really seen anything that's caught my attention. Maybe."

"Can I pick out something for you?" 

Keith nodded, smiling as he took Lance's hand to hold. "Of course you can. I'd really like that." 

"Okay. It'll be a practice before I pick out your birthday present."

"Mmhm, but I'm pretty sure I'll like whatever you pick out anyway." 

Lance shook his head. "You don't know that. I've never picked out a present before. I might be bad at it."

"I don't believe you would be, not for a second," Keith argued. 

He still couldn't know that for sure, especially since Lance didn't have any real ideas. Well, he kind of did now that he'd seen Keith's bedroom. He needed something decorative in there, a personal touch beyond a picture in a frame. But he didn't yet know what that would be, though Hunk had already promised to pay for it and Lance would pay him back in small increments as he was able. "Then tell me more about what you like. Aliens and rainbows and math and Texas... What else?" 

"Well, I like you." Keith shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really have a lot of _things_. I like making memories." 

"You don't buy keepsakes so you can have something to trigger your memories?" 

"Not really. Some things, but they're not here. All that stuff is back with my parents." 

"Oh." Then he'd have to find them something they could do together. Maybe Keith liked puzzles. Lance did. Then they could glue it together and hang it up. That could look neat, depending on the image he selected. "Do you collect anything?" 

"Mm… No, not really. Movie ticket stubs and some coins, but nothing serious." 

"Okay. If I get you something you don't like, you can take it back, okay? It won't hurt my feelings." Except it would very much, but he was good at hiding that. 

Keith shook his head. "I won't take it back. I'll like it because you're the one who gave it to me." 

"What if I get you shoes that don't fit?" he teased. 

"I'm a size eleven," Keith countered with a smirk. "There, now you won't get me ones that don't fit."

Lance laughed, swinging their arms comfortably until they reached the escalator and he had to let go. "Oh, are we still going to the shoe store? I almost forgot."

"Mmhm, I was planning on it," Keith replied, letting Lance on in front of him. 

He was, without a doubt, the sweetest person Lance had ever met. They wandered the lower level, Lance happily trying on the shirts Keith gave him. Two more feminine blouses were added to their haul as well as two t-shirts and one thing with three-quarter blue sleeves that Lance really liked. With shoes, he found a pair of blue sneakers that he happily changed into once they left the store. 

His limp, though, was becoming a bit more pronounced as they approached the bath store. Lance wasn't willing to admit that he was in any pain, too eager to keep going, but he didn't complain when Keith took a few more bags off his hands. He picked up a basket when they walked in, inhaling the soft, clean scents and the flowery scents and the pumpkin scents of fall. "There are _candles_."

Keith chuckled, taking the rest of the bags from him so his other hand was free. "Yeah, I thought you might like that." 

"I do. I love candles. I'm not allowed to have them in the dorm, though." He smiled. "Have you been here before? Do you have a favorite?" 

"Mm, yeah, the mahogany teakwood one is my favorite. I have the body wash in my shower too."

"I need to smell it," Lance decided, stopping at several candles on the way. He hummed happily over most of them, made unimpressed faces at a few, but was aware that Keith was carrying everything. He didn't want to linger and make him carry it all for too long. But how was he supposed to resist something called Bergamot _Waters_? He took the lid and breathed it in, letting the bergamot and citrus filter in. There was something woodsy, too, but beachy instead of heavy. It was his favorite by far. "I like this," he announced, holding the lid up for Keith to smell. 

Keith took a deep breath, and then another as the soothing scent washed over him. "That smells amazing. It actually makes me think of you." 

Smiling, Lance put the lid back on and picked up a Mahogany Teakwood candle lid. "It's nice that something that smells so good makes you think of me. I really- _Oh_." He inhaled again, the rich scent wrapping him up like a hug. "This is you. It's so you. It's perfect."

"Yeah? I'm glad you think so." 

He looked up with a smile, sniffing it again before he set it back where it belonged. If he could have candles, he'd get that one and burn it before bed to pretend that Keith was there. "I could probably spend an hour just in here."

"I know. It's really cool." Keith kissed his cheek, pointing towards the far wall. "And, you know, since you can't have candles, they make air fresheners that plug into the wall. We could see if they've got those scents." 

Lance beamed at him. "Okay."

And, to his delight, they did. Keith very easily talked him into getting a dual fragrance plug that would alter scents every two days, which thrilled him. He'd have both scents wafting around him and he was absolutely charmed when Keith got multiple wallflowers for himself. There wasn't, sadly, a body wash in the bergamot scent but there was a fragrance simply called Ocean that they both thought was also very Lance-like. Keith even went so far as to spray the cologne on Lance's wrists, making him giggle. 

The only disappointment was the bubble bath selection. It was minimal and while he did like the stress relieving eucalyptus mint, he was more drawn to a mermaid themed bath bomb. It claimed to fizz and bubble and it smelled amazing and it was _cute_. Keith just threw both into the basket and called it a day. 

By the time they finally made it to the food court, Lance's knee was aching and he sat down with a small, relieved sound with bags piled into the seat next to him. "I'm gonna organize these, okay? I think most of the clothes should fit in your backpack, but I want to make sure."

"Okay." Keith rubbed a hand down his back. "Are you alright?" 

"Mmhm. My knee just hurts a little." A lot, but he was good at masking pain. "I'm not used to all this walking."

"Yeah, I bet. You just sit here and rest, okay? I'll get your pretzel. What kind did you want?" 

"Cinnamon sugar please." Smiling, Lance propped his leg into the chair across from him and started digging into bags to start organizing. He folded and rolled fabric with a practiced nature of someone who was used to packing light and packing fast. It had been a long time since he'd been in foster care, but he hadn't lost the knack. Never fully knowing what to expect from Marcia and Henry had forced him to pack an emergency go-bag more than once anyway. He had one under his bed in the dorm too. It just made him feel safe. 

When Keith came back, pretzels in hand, Lance had all of his new clothes and shoes tucked into the backpack. All the things from the bath store were in one bag to be tucked under the motorcycle seat. Lance moved his leg so Keith could sit, smile bright as he reached for his pretzel. "Thank you. What kind did you get?" 

"Mm, just a regular one with some mustard. I wasn't sure if you wanted a dip, but I got you the sweet glaze since it's just sugar and water." 

"When you put it like that, it sounds off. But I'll eat it." He happily broke a piece off and dunked it into the little icing cup. "Thank you for bringing me here today. I had a lot of fun."

Keith smiled, ripping a piece of his own pretzel and slathering it in mustard. "I'm glad you did. I had fun too. It's nice when we can hang out together, just the two of us." 

"Mmhm. I'd like to do that more. Even if it's just homework, I like being around you."

"Me too. I'm really glad you decided to go out with me." 

Lance shook his head. "I'm glad you asked. That's a way bigger surprise than me saying yes."

"I don't know why. You deserve to be happy, Lance. I just can't believe you chose me to help you achieve that." 

"Keith... You're the first person who ever looked at me and saw someone dateable. You're..." Lance dropped his gaze, tearing his pretzel in half and watching the cinnamon sprinkle over the half-bag it had been brought in. "I gave up on finding someone who'd see me like you seem to."

It broke Keith's heart to hear, especially with as sweet as Lance was. He set his pretzel down and reached across the table. "Lance, I'm not sure how, but I'm going to prove to you that you're deserving of attention and affection."

"Everybody is, and you- You're really good at making me feel special." Lance set down half of his pretzel, taking the offered hand without hesitation. Knowing he _should_ have some affection in his life was easy. It was other people who hurt him. "And I think... I think I'm... I'm b-better than Marcia and Henry say I am. But I really like that someone besides me thinks so too. So that- that's what makes you special, Keith. Just treating me how you already are."

"And I'm not gonna stop," Keith promised, squeezing his hand. "I'm gonna be yours until you get sick of me." 

Keith would likely get sick of him first, but Lance only smiled. "I guess you're stuck with me for a long time then."

"I guess so," he agreed, smiling. "I'm so okay with that." 

Lance decided to let himself believe it, if only for a while. Keith seemed to believe it, after all, so why shouldn't he? He could be on his guard and still be hopeful. People found love this young. "So am I, mi cielo. So am I." 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Abuse mentions 😢 & a Lil bit of smut ahead 😘

Lance had never felt as good as he did that Friday. He snuggled up happily to Keith at his dining room table instead of the library, the tricks Keith had helped him develop helping him tremendously in identifying numbers. He wished Keith had always been his tutor, still giddy over the B he'd received on his latest exam. It had been a truly wonderful week of his life. He'd gone to the pool every day, the benefits already showing themselves in how little he had to reach for his inhaler during laps now. 

He hadn't even had a panic attack when his English teacher had assigned a group project, actually looking forward to getting to know some of his classmates. He didn't plan on making or expect to make friends as good as Keith, Hunk, and Pidge had turned out to be, but he was happy to have a chance to meet new people. He was happy to feel bursts of confidence more and more, and he was beyond excited for their Clue-themed party the next day. Even though he was the only one who thought of it as a party. It was going to be a blast. 

"So what time are we supposed to come over tomorrow?" 

"I'd say by six. I'm gonna have dinner ready by seven, but I'll be there at six." 

"Oh..." He'd been hoping to spend more time with him and Kosmo. "Okay."

"I mean, you can come over earlier if you want. I'll pick you up." 

His next "okay" was much more cheerful. "Are we not doing Saturday tutoring again? Because I'm okay with that. I can be ready whenever you want so I can help setup and play with Kosmo and wear my skirt for you and maybe you'll let me help you cook. Maybe. I'd like to help. Please."

Keith shook his head fondly, smiling. "You can help, sure. I'd like the extra set of hands." 

"Good. Maybe..." He bit his lip, a little unsure of this particular question. He'd been working up to it the whole week and now, with Keith's patient smile on him, he thought he could get it out. "M-maybe, um..."

"Mm, maybe what, baby?" 

"Can I-? Tonight, can I-" His alarm went off, jerking him out of the bold question and into silent fear. And a new bubble of anger he quickly suppressed. He couldn't afford to get angry at his adopted parents. They'd _know_. But he looked at his phone, shrinking a little when he saw Marcia was on the highway. He couldn't ask his question after all. "Will you take me back to the dorm? I think she's coming to visit. She hasn't in a couple weeks now, so..."

Keith still wondered what Lance was going to ask, but the moment had already passed. Instead he nodded, rising from the table. "Yeah, she's obviously due for one. How far away is she?" 

"They live about an hour away, but this only triggers when they get on the main highway. So about half an hour." Lance rose, dejectedly pushing his books into his satchel and struggling against the way his eyes started to water. "I d-don't want her to come. I w-want to stay with you."

"I know, sweetheart," Keith murmured, wrapping him in a hug and rubbing his back. "But I can come get you again after they leave. It's not like _I_ live an hour away, you know." 

No because they'd just upset him and make him cry and he didn't want Keith to have to deal with him like that. Hunk had seen it already, so that was fine. Lance buried his face in Keith's shoulder, holding tight. "Will you come get me early tomorrow? Please?"

Keith kissed the side of his head. "Yes, of course I will, baby."

"Okay." Lance held onto Keith for another moment, soaking in the comfort until he could pull back with dry eyes. He could handle dealing with his adoptive mother. It was his own fault for getting so comfortable without her. He crouched down to hug Kosmo, scratching her chin. "It'd be nice if you were small enough to just pick up and cuddle, but this is nice too," he murmured, kissing her head. "I'll see you tomorrow, perrita. Be good for your papi."

"Mmhm, she will be. I know she'll miss you, though. You'll just have to have an extra long cuddle session with her tomorrow." 

"I will." And maybe he could just shift his question to another night. He bit his lip as he rose, pulling on his sweater and his satchel, and found it much easier to ask now that he had something bigger to be upset about. "Do you think maybe... I can stay tomorrow? All night? I- N-not for sex things, but..."

Keith couldn't help the soft chuckle. "Well, no, I wouldn't expect you to be ready for sex stuff yet. But yes, of course you can stay with me tomorrow. I'd love to have you here." 

Lance smiled, walking up and lifting to his toes to press their lips together. "Thank you, Keith. I'm sorry we have to cut tonight short."

"It's okay, baby. You can't help it. Tomorrow is another day, and night." 

Nodding, Lance plucked at Keith's jacket. "Yeah. Tomorrow's gonna be great."

But it wasn't. They weren't coming to visit, but to take him home with them. He couldn't even protest, unable to safely tell them that he already had plans. He wanted to play games and watch movies with friends and sleep in his boyfriend's bed and be _normal_.

But they loaded some of his clothes into a suitcase while Hunk watched the vitality and life he'd developed steadily drain until Lance was a blank, obedient canvas again. There was nothing he could do but dial Keith's number once Lance and half his closet was taken out of the room, a little amused and a lot sorry when Keith answered on the second ring. "Hey, man. I've got some really crap news."

Keith's frown could be heard in his voice. "What happened?" 

"His parents took about half his closet and him. He won't be back until Sunday."

" _What_? But…" Keith growled, slamming his fist down on the kitchen counter. "But he was gonna actually stay here tomorrow night. Why the hell did they take him?!" 

"I don't know, man. They said something about having a get-together that he's expected to attend. He said 'but' once and I thought Marcia was gonna come unglued. She jabbed a nail in his face and screamed at him for thinking he could get out of family obligations just because he was in college."

"That's _such_ bullshit. I bet there's nothing going on."

"Who knows? She's probably taking him for retraining or something." Hunk rolled his eyes, leaning back in his desk chair. "I think it goes without saying that tomorrow's a bust. He's the whole reason we planned it. So... We'll do it after your birthday? And I can call you Sunday if you want to come over and get him so he's not laying in bed crying all night because I know he will."

"Yeah, I'll come get him Sunday. And we'll push back game night til the weekend after next." 

"Okay, sounds good. You gonna keep him overnight? And, I mean, I don't know how you're doing in class, but I know he hasn't missed any. Maybe a skip day would do him some good."

"It would, definitely. I just have to make sure his professors don't actually take attendance. Some of them still do and it confuses me."

"Same. I'll shoot you his schedule."

"Thanks. If it comes down to it, I'll just have Pidge hack in and fix it, if she can." 

Hunk chuckled. "I can, so I guarantee she can. The safety net around this place is full of holes. So I'll send this your way and see you Sunday. I'll text you when they're on their way. You can wait in the lobby and actually get a look at these people." And hopefully they could come up with a plan to save him from them.

"So I can hold myself back from punching them in their throats, you mean. Yeah, I wanna see them."

"Sounds good. I'll call you Sunday, then. Hopefully they bring him back pretty early."

"Yeah. I'll have my phone on me all day." 

"Cool." Linked into Lance's phone, he could see Marcia's angry face as she swiped through it. The rear camera had been ruined, but not the front one. Not completely anyway. If he turned up the volume, he'd be able to hear her too, but he didn't really think he wanted to know what was being said to his friend. "See you then, man. I'm sorry I couldn't stop them from taking him."

"It's okay, Hunk. I don't think anything would have stopped them." Except Keith, and he'd be there next time. 

"Yeah... Later, Keith."

"Bye, Hunk. Let me know if anything happens." 

"Will do," he promised, frowning when the screen went black and the phone was turned off. After hanging up, he sent a text off to Pidge to let her know what was happening. Hopefully she'd take the hint and go barge in on Keith the next day to keep him busy and distracted. At least one of them could have a good Saturday. 

Lance certainly didn't. He got new, fall appropriate clothes, but there was none of the excitement he'd had at the mall. There was none for the get-together they hosted either, especially when they very purposefully sat him down next to one of their friend's daughters. He knew the intention and he knew they were pleased when she immediately began to boss him around. "Sit up straighter. Fix your tie. Straighten your glasses. Stop frowning so much."

It was miserable and, worse, she announced in front of everyone that she expected his call soon. She even put her number into his phone and he couldn't protest. He deleted it defiantly that night and regretted it the moment Marcia next grabbed his phone. The number was promptly re-added and he was given very strict instructions to call and set up a date along with a few marks that would keep him from swimming for the next week. A few secrets to keep from Keith. 

He'd tell him about the girl, though, and get his advice. He couldn't call her, but he also didn't want to get in more trouble. Maybe he'd go on one date and upset her enough that _she_ called things off. He'd still get punished, but at least she'd be gone. That's all he wanted, really, to be left alone with Keith, but they wouldn't stop at one girl. He knew their plan. Date through college, start working at Henry's company, get promoted, then propose to and marry girl. He had a different plan, but it felt so impossible trapped in their house. 

And then it was late Sunday when they finally returned him to school after he'd listened to Marcia berating whoever had been unfortunate to answer the phone and tell her no when she demanded a room change for him. There were no rooms available and they couldn't make changes over the phone anyway. It was just a message, really. Hunk was _not_ approved and that was just fine with Lance. 

He wanted to run for his room the moment they walked into the lobby, but the first thing he saw was Keith. He froze instead, shocked to see him waiting there and visibly wincing when Henry latched onto his arm and yanked him forward. He ducked his head, ready to cry just from embarrassment as he was dragged by, too afraid to even look at Keith while Marcia berated him and gave him final warnings. He wasn't to fraternize with any of Hunk's friends and wasn't allowed to speak to him beyond formal niceties. They even had a curtain to hang across the center of the room to separate the halves, so it was uncomfortably silent while Henry hung the curtain, breaking dorm rules with each pulse of the drill, and dark before they left after Marcia icily informed Hunk that she was unamused by his actions and that he was no longer permitted to speak to Lance. They were not, in fact, friends. 

Hunk arched both brows, amazed that she was delusional enough to think she could control their interactions, but agreed just to get them out. Lance's dead, defeated eyes were bothering him and every second was a test of Keith's patience. Every text he got was proof enough of that. When they _finally_ left, Hunk yanked the curtain back with a roll of his eyes and sighed when he saw Lance tucked in a corner of the bed. One weekend with them had shot him right back to where he'd been at the beginning of the semester. "You know I'm not taking her seriously, right?" 

"You're n-not?" 

"No, man, I promise." He looked back when the door swung open, glad to see Keith instead of Lance's parents. With a small smile, Hunk stepped aside to give him room to storm in and take over the comfort Lance needed. 

He immediately went to Lance, climbing up onto the bed and dragging his boyfriend into his lap, arms wrapped firmly around him. "Are you okay, baby?" 

Lance just shivered, swallowing hard to get rid of the tears. "I-I'm- I'm f-fine. I'm-" He wasn't fine. "What are y-you doing h-here?" 

The increased stuttering told Keith that Lance was _not_ okay, but he just rubbed his arms down Lance's back. "I wanted to be here when you got back. I wanted to see you." 

"O-oh." Lance hiccuped, turning to hide his face in Keith's shoulder. "I-I m-missed Clue n-night. I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't want- I c-couldn't c-call you."

"No, it's okay, sweetheart. You're here now and safe, away from them." 

"She w-wants me to d-date some m-mean girl a-and n-not be friends w-with Hunk a-and I m-missed you a-and-" And nobody cared about him in that house. He'd known it, but he hadn't felt it the same way. Now he had something to compare it to and it really hit home. They really didn't _care_. He was _nothing_ to them. His sob was loud despite being muffled in Keith's shoulder, but it broke the flood of tears he'd been fighting back since Friday afternoon. 

It broke Keith's heart to listen to him sob, holding him tighter against his chest. "Shh," he hushed softly, rubbing his back and rocking them gently. "Let it out, baby, it's okay. You're safe now. You're here with me." 

Lance couldn't stop, even though he wanted to. He didn't want to cry in front of Keith, didn't want to make _him_ feel bad. But he couldn't help it, sobbing until he had nothing left. His glasses were set aside so he could rub his eyes as the sobs finally waned and the tears fell silently. "M'sorry," he eventually mumbled. 

"Don't be, sweetheart. Sometimes you just need to cry. Are you alright now? Think you'll be okay on the bike?" 

"The b-bike?" 

"Mmhm. I'm taking you home tonight." 

That sounded so much better than being alone. "B-but I cried on y-you..."

"And? I don't care about that, baby. I just want you to be comfortable. I can draw you a bath, we can cuddle and watch a movie… And you're not going to class tomorrow." 

"M'not?"

Hunk set his satchel on the bed, making Lance jolt. "No, man, you're not. You're just gonna have a good day with Keith."

"Mmhm. You don't need all that added stress after this weekend." 

Lance wiped his eyes, sniffling. "Okay. I... I w-want to go with you."

"Good. We'll have a good night tonight." 

Giving in, just fine with these two making decisions for him, Lance nodded. They cared about him, so it would be okay. He pushed his glasses back on. "I'm r-ready to go. I wanna see Kosmo too."

"Mmhm, I know she wants to see you too." Keith smiled softly, giving him a quick, firm kiss. "Now let's get you home." 

Keith's house was so much more of a home than the big house he'd spent the last eight years in. "Okay," he agreed, letting Keith get him to his feet. He took his sweater and satchel, so grateful for Hunk and the tight, encouraging hug he got from him. "Thanks, Hunk."

"Anytime, buddy. Have a great day tomorrow." 

"Okay." Lance reached for Keith's hand, not arguing at all while he was led out and bundled onto the back of a motorcycle. He gasped, though, when Keith swept him right off his feet once they were at his house, the helmets tucked away again. His first real smile finally broke through, his soft giggle breathless. "Keith!" 

He hummed, feigning innocence. "What?" 

Lance's arms wrapped around Keith's neck, holding on with no intention of letting go until Keith wanted him down. "You're a brat."

"Mm, I don't know what you're talking about," Keith teased, unlocking the door and kicking it open. Kosmo was right there waiting for them, tail wagging furiously as she jumped up to put her front paws on Lance's side. 

"Hi, perrita. Hi," Lance cooed, one hand coming around to scratch her behind the ear. "You're so big. Hi."

She leaned as close as she could, licking Lance's chin before hopping back down. Keith chuckled, shutting and locking the door behind them. "You want me to let you down so you can see her?" 

"Mmhm." Lance smiled as he sat on the hardwood floors, happily letting Kosmo snuggle into his lap. "You're so not a lap dog," he murmured, but hugged her and let her lick the salt from his tears away. "Perrita buena."

Keith smiled, glad to have Lance back in a place that made him feel safe, happy, and warm. "Want me to draw a bath for you? I'll toss one of your bath bombs in and light a candle for you." 

He almost teared up all over again, but looked up with a small smile. "I'd like that."

"Okay, good. I'll get it all set up. You just hang out with Kosmo for a few minutes." 

"That's a good plan. I like her even though she's big." Lance scratched her behind the ears, but he could tell that she was bubbling with energy and he just didn't have any to spare. He was tired and aching, just wanting to cuddle and pretend for just a little while that his life wasn't miserable. A cuddly little lap dog would be much better for him, but he loved Kosmo to pieces nonetheless. She was still being good for him. "We can play lazy fetch," he offered, wincing when one of her claws scratched him and her paws dug in to use him as a springboard to scramble off his lap and find a toy. It wouldn't have bothered him normally, but his bruises sang. 

Keith noticed, of course, as focused on everything Lance right now. "Are you okay?" 

"Mmhm. She's just heavy, and I wasn't ready."

"I feel like there's something else… She's done that to you before and you've never had that reaction." 

He shook his head, eyes losing a lot of their life as he watched Kosmo search for a good toy. "M'just sensitive today. It's been a really b-bad weekend."

"Hmm… Okay, baby. Hopefully the bath will help." 

"Mmhm. And some cuddling." He took Kosmo’s half-eaten rabbit when she brought it over, the only real proof that it had ever been a rabbit one lonely ear. "You're such a mess," he teased, watching her tail wag and her eyes flick expectantly from his face to the toy. So he tossed it across the house and listened to her nails wildly click on the floor.

He threw it again and again until Keith came back, standing and reaching for his hand. "Good. My arm was about to fall off."

Keith laughed, lacing their fingers together. "I know. She can play forever." 

"I'll play with her tomorrow when I can keep up. Has she ever had a friend? Like another dog?" 

"Mm-mm. I mean, she's been socialized with other dogs, but we've never had a friend or sibling for her." 

"Oh. I guess it'd be hard to take care of two dogs by yourself."

"I mean, not really. I'm sure I could do it… Why?" 

Lance shrugged, looking down as he followed Keith to his room. "Being alone is hard."

"Yeah…" Keith knew they both had experience with that. "You're not anymore, Lance. You've got me, and Hunk and Pidge too." 

"I know." Lance squeezed his hand. "You're all good friends. I guess it's okay that I missed Clue. I know Marcia and Henry won't come bug me for your birthday, so they got you a present by accident."

"You didn't miss Clue, baby. We postponed it for the weekend after my birthday." 

It was the best thing he'd heard all day. "Really?!" 

"Yeah," Keith assured him, amused. "Me and Hunk didn't want you to miss it." 

Apparently he could still get teary-eyed after all. "You guys are the best."

Keith smiled, kissing his cheek as they reached the bathroom door. "You're just our favorite person." 

Their families were their favorite people, but he'd take second place. It was better than not even being in the running. He turned to Keith, bobbing up to brush their lips together. "You're mine. But Hunk's my favorite guy friend. Pidge is my favorite girl friend."

Chuckling, Keith threw the door open. "Sounds fair." 

"Mmhm. I'm trying to be." Lance stepped in, smiling as the bergamot waters candle washed over him. Keith was really trying to get him back to himself and it was so sweet. "Is it silly that I'm excited for a bath?" 

"No, it's really not. They're relaxing. I honestly don't take as many as I probably should." 

"Maybe... Maybe we can t-take one together sometime."

Keith grinned. "Definitely. Now just relax, okay baby? Call out if you need anything." 

"Okay." He'd missed that wicked smile, the weekend having felt like weeks instead of days. "Thank you, Keith."

He kissed Lance's cheek, letting his lips linger as he murmured, "You're welcome," before backing out and shutting the door. 

Lance touched his cheek, wishing he was brave enough to call out and get Keith back in there with him. He didn't want to be alone, but it was also really nice to be able to relax. There had been no relaxation the entire weekend. Just strict rules, harsh words, and angry abuse. It was probably something else now that he was an adult, but he was too tired to think about it. He just knew the bruises hurt and that they looked a little uglier than they had a few hours before.

Not wanting to look at them, he left his rumpled clothes on the floor and climbed into the tub. The fizzing tingled over his skin, bubbles hiding everything when he sank in up to his chin, head tipped back and sigh soft. Everything felt soothed, his bruises not throbbing and his headache dissipating. It was his own slice of heaven and it was all thanks to Keith. 

He took his time washing up, pampering himself to his heart's content and forgetting about the finger-shaped bruises on his arms and the elbow derived one on his stomach, the fist-shaped ones on his back. His biggest problem when he was finally ready to get out was the realization that he didn't have pajamas or know where the towels were. "Keith!" he called, swallowing his embarrassment. It was fine. The bubbles hid him from view. 

Keith was opening the door mere moments later, an eyebrow arched. "What's up?" 

Lance bit his lip, suddenly feeling very vulnerable with Keith standing so close when he was so very naked. "I d-don't have pajamas."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, sit tight. I'll grab you a shirt and some boxers. And a towel." 

Boxers? "Okay."

"Okay," Keith echoed, smiling, and went back into the room to gather everything. There were a couple of oversized shirts in a drawer he kept for sleeping, so he grabbed one of those and a clean pair of his own boxers. He brought everything back in and set them on the small table by the tub before pulling a large fluffy towel out of the cabinet next to the door. "There, you should be all set." 

Lance looked up at him, pink cheeked and tempted to sink a little lower or invite Keith in. Trapped in uncertainty, he did neither. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Was it a nice bath?" 

"Mmhm." He slowly relaxed with Keith in there. He'd seen him shirtless before. This was fine. He didn't have to be nervous when he knew Keith wouldn't take advantage. "The bath bomb made my skin feel really soft, I think." He scooted up a little, revealing nasty crescent marks in his shoulder from where Marcia had gripped him during the party, silently warning him about correcting her when she told her friends how much Lance was loving Yale. 

Keith's gaze was drawn to them immediately, anger bubbling up. "Lance… What- What the hell happened there?" 

"Whe- oh." He lifted a hand to try and hide it, but only revealed the bruises dotting his arm so quickly sank back down to hide. So much for keeping the marks a secret. "I... It..."

" _Lance_ ," Keith breathed, dropping down next to the tub. He lifted a hand to Lance's shoulder, lightly brushing his fingertips over the nail marks and down his arm into the water until he could gently lift it back out. "Are these from… Henry and Marcia?" 

"I..." Fear and shame mixed in his wide eyes. "Yes."

Keith reached his other hand up to card through Lance's hair, trying to soothe the fear. "Both arms?" 

He'd never admitted this to anyone before, so didn't quite know what to expect. He didn't know how Keith would react, what he would do, how he would look at him after knowing this. So he sat up a little straighter and simply lifted his other arm in silent response. There were more bruises on this than the other. Henry had always grabbed the left one more. 

Keith growled lowly, not able to keep his hatred for them unvoiced any longer. "They can't do this to you, Lance. This is _abuse_. Listen, I don't _care_ that they're your adopted parents. They're not allowed to do this to you and I'm not going to stand for it. You're done with them, okay? You're eighteen and not bound by law to stay with them anymore. You're never going back there."

Lance winced, averting his gaze. "They have all my paperwork. Birth certificates and inheritance accounts and..." And personal, family things. "They pay for school. I can't do that."

"Lance, you're eighteen now. You can get a copy of your birth certificate and social security card and everything. Hopefully with all of that, and after we get your ID, we can go to the bank or whatever and get your accounts back to you."

He shook his head. "I don't know which bank because I've never been allowed to look at the statements. I just know it's inheritance money after all my family's stuff was sold and life insurance. I don't have access until I'm twenty-five, married, or have my own address. The dorms don't count. Marcia already called and threw a fit about it. And the birth certificate..." His voice cracked. "I don't want a copy. I w-want the one my p-parents actually touched. I-it's in their safe w-with my d-dad's watch and m-my mom's perfume a-and I can't- I can't l-lose those things, K-Keith. I _can't_."

"Okay, baby," he murmured, kissing his temple. "We'll figure it out. I'm going to get everything back for you, okay? I'll help any way I can, including school. But they're not allowed to keep you if they're going to treat you like this." 

Something like hope stirred, but Lance's heart was beating too hard and his breath was too short to feel much more than the impending panic attack. "I n-need my i-inhaler."

Keith didn't even have to ask where it was, rising quickly to grab it out of Lance's satchel and bringing it back in to him. He carded his fingers through his hair as Lance took puffs from the inhaler. "That's it, baby, just breathe, okay?" he encouraged, forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths. "Try to match mine."

Lance focused on him more than the terror. As much as the idea of getting away from them appealed, there was so much at stake. Besides the two simple keepsakes, there was an album of paperwork. It wasn't just his birth certificate in there. His siblings, his parents, their marriage license, more pictures... There was so much to lose, but his breaths soon evened out, his hand finding Keith's. "If I could get my things, I'd leave. But I _need_ them. I- I trust you, so I'd leave."

"Then we'll get them. We'll get it all, Lance, we'll find a way. I care about you too much to let this happen again. It won't anymore, I promise." 

Lance nodded, aching for a hug and a few warm kisses. "Will you- I want to get out a-and get dressed so will you... Don't leave, but..."

Keith smiled, rising to grab the towel. "Pull the plug on the drain, baby. I'll turn around so you can dry off." 

That was just why Lance trusted him. He understood. He let the water drain, rising to dry off and quickly pull on the boxers. The shirt he hesitated over, briefly wary of it when he saw it had short sleeves. But he'd wear it. Keith had seen his arms and maybe... He bit his lip, turning to see Keith's back. He could apparently carry a lot, so he may as well go all the way. He swallowed hard. "There's... more."

"More… bruises?" Keith asked lowly, still not turning around. 

Lance bit his lip. "Y-yeah."

"Where?" 

His abdomen and his upper back, but Lance swayed side to side without wanting to say it aloud. "Y-you can turn around a-and see..."

Keith did, his eyes widening when he saw the marks on his stomach. "What- What did they _do_?" 

Lance ducked his head. "I wasn't- I said some things I shouldn't have, so- H-Henry elbows me when I do. A lot."

"That's still abuse, Lance. _This_ is abuse. And I'm not going to stand for it." 

"Okay..." He didn't know what Keith could do exactly, but he bit his lip and turned to show him his back. "They want me to d-date some girl and I deleted her number, so..."

The words infuriated him, but not nearly as much as the bruises peppering his back. "Oh, that is _not_ happening. You have a boyfriend already." Keith wrapped his arms around his waist, gently pressing kisses to his skin. "I'll handle them." 

Lance shivered, the gentle attention a shock to the system. He'd sounded so mad, he hadn't been ready for softness. "I don't want it to. I was going to ask you what I should do."

"Call her, but you give me the phone. I'll talk to her." 

"She'll tell Marcia and Henry. Can we do it after your birthday?" 

"Sure, baby. We should probably wait until after we have all of your things too." 

Lance leaned back into Keith, strategic mind starting to work. He could get away. He could do it. "We could... We could sneak in when they're not home? I know where the keys are."

Keith nodded, kissing the back of his neck. "Yes, that sounds like the perfect plan." 

"And you'll help me? It's not breaking and entering because I live there and it's not theft because we're only going to take my things."

"Of course I will, sweetheart. I doubt they'd even notice anything is gone, at least not right away." 

The idea of being on Keith's motorcycle for a whole hour was intimidating, but he'd do anything to get his family's things back. He rubbed his wrist, biting his lip before whispering, "Can we go tomorrow?"

"If that's how you wanna spend your free day, absolutely, baby. We'll get all your stuff back for you." 

They'd be furious once they found out. Absolutely furious. Lance turned his head, kissing Keith's neck. "C-can I borrow a jacket for the ride? It's gonna be cold on the highway."

"Definitely. I'll let you wear my warmest one." 

Lance smiled, finally relaxing in his hold. "You wear that one. I'll have you for a buffer."

Keith chuckled. "Okay, baby." 

He should probably start applying for scholarships and financial aid for the next semester, not quite sure of the process but not actually expecting Keith to help pay for his schooling. He hadn't even talked to his parents and that seemed like it would be a big burden. "Will you still tutor me if I can't pay you?" 

"Lance, it was never about the money. I don't _need_ it, so of course I'll still tutor you. You're my boyfriend and I want to see you succeed." 

"Okay. I'll keep writing you checks until they cut me off, though. I don't- I don't want them to know right away. I want you to have a good birthday and I want my things and this is- This feels really fast."

"I know, baby, but the sooner we get you away from them, the happier and safer you'll be." 

"You make me feel happy and safe. Can we go cuddle on the couch and watch a movie now?" 

"Mmhm. You get to pick. I'll make popcorn." 

"Okay." Lance broke away to pull on the shirt, the fabric big enough to slip off one shoulder. "Can it be another musical? I don't know why, but they make me happy."

They weren't his favorite, but Keith would do anything to make him feel better. "Mmhm. Anything you want." 

Lance dropped his gaze, fiddling with the edges of the shirt. "We d-don't have to. I'll pick something else."

Keith reached for his hands, squeezing gently. "It's okay, baby, I promise. I'll watch a musical with you." 

Lance wished he knew more movies. He just wanted something familiar, something he could possibly fall asleep watching. Unfortunately, his familiarity ended with musicals and cartoons. They were all pretty wholesome and probably outright dull to Keith, who had watched _him_ more than he had Annie the previous Saturday. But there was one he'd seen in high school. It hadn't been an approved movie, but it had been one his approved friend had wanted to watch. She'd told him in no uncertain terms that she'd earn an extra bonus by telling Marcia some wild story, true or not, about him if he told, but he'd said nothing. He'd enjoyed the film too much to ruin it and it was wicked enough and funny enough that maybe Keith wouldn't mind _too_ much. "H-have you ever heard of Sweeney Todd?" 

Keith grinned. "You know, that is one that I've already seen. It's a good movie."

"Really? I think it's over the top on purpose and that makes it fun."

"Yeah, but it's Johnny Depp." 

"Who?" 

Keith chuckled. "He plays Sweeney Todd."

"Oh. He's good. He just reminds me of the guy in the really bad Willy Wonka movie. I like the original one a lot better."

"He was the guy in the really bad Willy Wonka movie. We're gonna have to marathon Johnny Depp movies." 

"Just not that one. It... It kinda scared me? _He_ scared me. So..."

"Okay, we won't watch that one. It sucks anyway. But I think you might like Pirates of the Caribbean. The first one, anyway." 

"Oh, I do like that movie. Who does he play in that?" 

Keith smiled, shaking his head. "He plays Captain Jack, baby."

"Oh." It had been a few years since he'd seen it, but that had definitely been his favorite character. "I... don't know anything about actors."

"It's okay, sweetheart. I know enough for both of us." 

"Apparently." Lance took his hand, letting Keith lead him out of the bathroom. "Are you going to put on pajamas too?" 

"Yeah. I sleep in just boxers, though. Is that okay?" 

Lance bit his lip. "Mm... Mmhm."

Keith smirked, bumping his hip into Lance's. "You sure you're not gonna combust?" 

Oh, he loved that smirk. He trusted it. Even a weekend with his adopted parents couldn't shake that. His smile went soft and, even though he didn't know it, his eyes were shining with love behind lightly fogged lenses. "Mm-mm. I've seen you shirtless."

Keith's own gaze softened, squeezing Lance's hand. "Yeah, but you've never _slept_ with me shirtless." 

He blushed, shaking his head. "I get to tonight."

"Yeah you do." Keith kissed his cheek, letting him go so he could strip down to his boxers. "I really can't wait to wake up next to you tomorrow morning." 

Lance watched him, covering his blush but not his wide eyes. He was so _confident_. "Why?" 

"Because it's you. And it's nice to cuddle with someone all night and be able to see their pretty face in the morning." 

Lance nodded, only briefly distressed by the reminder that Keith had been with other people before. He'd likely be with other people again one day, but Lance had him now. That's all that mattered. "What if I snore? What if _you_ snore?"

Keith chuckled. "Is that gonna be a problem if I do?" 

"Depends on how loud it is. That could be a sign of a health problem."

"Hmm, well, I don't snore, so you don't have to worry about that." 

"I don't either. I had my tonsils out when I was twelve."

"Really? 'Cause they were infected or just because?" 

"Not really infected, just big. I had bad sleep apnea so I couldn't breathe at night and-" He cut himself off with a small huff. "And I was trying to tease you and messed it up."

Keith shook his head, drawing him in for a hug with arms looped loosely around his waist. "It's okay, baby. I realize that now." 

Lance's hands lifted automatically to curl into his shirt but found only skin. His pulse jumped, lips parted on a soft, "Oh." This was different than when they'd been in the very public pool. They'd both been submerged, everything distorted by rippling water, and this was a very private bedroom and Keith's warm skin was right under his palms. One hand moved to trace the paw prints on his pec, subtly shifting closer when he felt Keith flex under the light touch. Maybe he'd combust after all, but at least he had a good view. 

Smirking, Keith covered Lance's other hand with his own. "You sure you're gonna be okay there?" 

He looked up, blush returning. "M-maybe. I just- You're really hot. You make my mouth water."

 _Oh_. That was the boldest Keith had ever heard him be, a slow smirk spreading over his face. "You can use that mouth, if you want." 

Lance's fingers flexed over his skin, eyes widening as the blush deepened. "Like... Like h-how? What would you do to me?" 

"Mm… I'd kiss you all over, anywhere I could reach. I'd use my tongue, licking after the path of small nips I leave you with."

"O-oh. That sounds... r-really nice." And really hot, arousal tingling over his skin. 

"Mmhm, it will be. But for now, let's go get comfy on the couch. Kosmo will probably lay on you." 

He'd rather have Keith lay on him, biting his lip and following him to the living room without comment. "I... I don't know what sex would be like," he admitted quietly from his perch on the couch, watching Keith work the remote in search of the movie. 

Keith glanced at him, his smile soft and a little sad. "To be fair, I don't think anyone knows what it would be like until their first time. But I can promise you right now that I will do my best to make you feel amazing and to not hurt you." 

"It can hurt?" 

"If you're bottoming and your partner isn't careful, yeah, there's a chance it could hurt." He scooted closer, switching the remote to his other hand so he could wrap his arm around Lance. "It's all in the prep." 

Lance blinked at him, feeling very out of his depth and sure Keith didn't know how clueless he really was. "Bottoming?" 

"Uh, well, for lack of a nice way to say it… it's when you have your partner's dick in you." 

He almost asked where, but squirmed a little. He'd touched himself enough, played and explored enough, to have an idea. He liked using his fingers on himself, though had never imagined... His gaze dropped to Keith's groin only briefly before he pushed his glasses up in his haste to cover his face. "O-oh. So... So that's h-how guys do it?" 

"Mmhm." Keith hadn't missed the glance down, but didn't mention it or the way his dick was starting to stir in his boxers. Now was not the time. "It feels really good, especially if you have someone who knows what they're doing."

Which Keith doubtless did. "I... I, um, I l-like fingers," he whispered, peeking at Keith's blurry features. He couldn't tell if he was being smirked at or not, which was just fine with him. 

" _Oh_ , okay. Like… You like touching yourself? Stretching yourself out for a nice thick cock?" 

Lance whimpered. It sounded dirty and he'd never considered that _during_ , but... But Keith made it sound _amazing_. Keith made it sound like he wanted to be... Topping? It made sense if the other way was bottoming. Whatever it was, Keith sounded like he wanted him and it made Lance's hips shift and his hole clench around nothing. "Yes," he breathed. "Creo que lo quiero."

"Mmm…" Keith abandoned the remote, turning towards him. His lips found Lance's neck, the side where the shirt was falling off, and kissed him, suckled on his skin until he'd left a mark of his own. "Then I'll be sure to use my fingers on you for a long time." 

Lance shuddered, reaching out to find purchase but only warm skin was there. He gripped Keith's shoulder, stunned by the little sting and wicked promise. Keith's hands were so nice. He'd never thought of having them inside, but that was so... "Please," he whispered, not even knowing what he was asking for. But his boxers were tented and his skin felt like it was on fire in a really good way. "Please."

Fuck, he shouldn't have started teasing him, shouldn't have _continued_ it, but there he was. "Lance… Just tell me what you want. Anything, but only if you're absolutely sure." 

"I don't _know_. But I want- I need to-" He didn't know if there was a nicer way to say orgasm. "I w-wanna feel good? I- I trust y-you, just... Just _please_."

"Okay… Can I touch you?" 

Lance bit his lip, nodding. He scooted closer, craving any sort of contact. He wanted to be tucked under Keith, held close to the person who made him feel safe while arousal overwhelmed. Because he didn't want to run away from it; he wanted to feel it. "Toca me," he whimpered. "Please, Keith."

"Yeah, baby. I'll make you feel good," Keith promised, reaching a hand down to brush fingers along the waistband of his borrowed boxers. "Do you wanna get in my lap?" 

"Y-yeah." He let Keith guide him, straddling his lap and holding his shoulders. It was very different to be looking down at him, to be close in this way. It was even different from the playful way he'd sat on him at the mall. "Keith," he breathed, lowering to press their lips together, hungry and eager and helpless. 

Keith's hands gripped his hips, firm but not hard enough to bruise. Lance had enough of those already. He let Lance control the kiss this time, letting his tongue do whatever it wanted, even if his technique was a little sloppy. He'd get better at it with practice, and Keith was more than happy to let him practice all he wanted. Letting one hip go, Keith lightly brushed over the front of Lance's boxers, feeling the erection he was sporting under the fabric. 

Lance heard a moan, surprised to realize it was his own. The touch was so soft, but no one had ever touched him and he hadn't touched himself in days. He was pent up, hiding his embarrassment in Keith's neck because he knew he wouldn't last long. "K-Keith... How do I... I want it to l-last."

Keith knew he probably wouldn't, curling his fingers under the waistband to inch it down. "It's okay if it doesn't right now, baby. I'll get you off more than once. I just want you to feel good." 

Lance rolled his hips, steadily becoming more excited than nervous. He did trust Keith, was ready for that promise to come true. "Okay." He leaned back a little, lifting the oversized shirt so he could see what Keith was doing. "H-holy crow..." 

Smiling softly, Keith kissed him while he dragged the boxers down enough so Lance's dick was out, settling the elastic underneath his balls. He broke the kiss as he glanced down, eyes widening slightly and licking his lips. Lance's was actually a little longer than his, but not quite as thick. It was a nice contrast, made even nicer by the soft skin under his fingertips as he wrapped his hand around him. 

"Oh-!" Lance gasped, fingers flexing on Keith's shoulders and lashes fluttering as he struggled to keep them open. He wanted to watch, which felt just a little more wicked than not. "K-Keith..." His hand was so firm, so warm around him, and so very different from his own hand. 

"Mmhm, that's it, baby. Just let me make you feel good. You can let go anytime, okay? Don't feel embarrassed about it," Keith murmured, speeding his strokes up just a little, squeezing firmly around him. 

Lance whimpered, hips rocking hesitantly and mouth falling to Keith's neck. His teeth grazed over his skin by accident more than design on a low moan. "It- S'feels so good. Tan bien."

Keith groaned, his head falling to the side to give Lance room. "Yeah… Keep moving, baby. Want you to come for me." 

He may not have understood quite what Keith meant, but Lance knew how to move. His hips sped up a little, an outcry spilling out when Keith's wrist twisted. He could feel a tell-tale tightness in his gut, shifting to press their brows together and look down. Keith's fingers were so pale against his tanned skin, so long and clever. His brain disconnected from his mouth. "Wish you had your gloves."

"Mm, next time, sweetheart. I'll wear them for you." 

"Oh, p-please..." It made him shudder, heart racing. As his hips continued to move, sounds started to spill out. They stayed soft as if he was afraid or just very unused to being loud, but they were eager and greedy and just for Keith. Moans and whimpers of Spanish no one but Keith had ever heard poured from him as his eyes fogged, dark with arousal. "Keith," he whined, nails digging into his shoulders in search of purchase. "Keith, Keith, Keith, _Keith_ -!" It was the loudest he got, head falling back as his hips moved out of rhythm and his release spilled over his boyfriend. 

He was glad he wasn't wearing a shirt, not only because he wouldn't have to do laundry, but because he loved the feeling of Lance's come coating his skin. He watched him with half-lidded eyes, his mouth watering at the sight. "That's it, baby… God, you're so fucking hot. So good for me." 

"Soy t-tu chico bueno," he panted, slowly settling in Keith's lap. "'M'your g-good boy.'"

"Yeah, you are," Keith murmured, kissing his neck. "How was that? You feelin' okay?" 

"Mmhm. It was... It was _really_ good." He looked down, color touching his cheeks as he looked at Keith's glistening stomach. "You're a mess, though."

"Yeah, and I'm so okay with it." So okay, in fact, that Keith swiped a finger through the mess and licked it off, moaning softly.

His color deepened, a soft, surprised sound slipping out. "Wow..."

Keith smirked up at him, gripping his hips again. "You taste incredible, Lance. I can't wait to actually get my mouth on you." 

"On my...? _Oh_." That sounded really good, maybe even better than his hand. Thinking about it made him squirm in Keith's lap, hands lifting to cover his blush. "M-maybe next time."

"Definitely next time." 

"O-okay. Um. Are you- Do you need...?" 

"Mm, yeah. D'you want to try?" 

He nodded, then shook his head, then nodded again. "I-I want to. I want you to f-feel good, too, but what if... What if I'm b-bad at it?" 

"You won't be bad at it, sweetheart. You've touched yourself before, right? Just do that." 

It was a little different, though. He knew what pressure he liked and he was usually trying to get off as fast as possible for fear of being caught. Would Keith want to get off fast? Would he want it to last? Questions swirled wildly in his mind, nerves running high as his gaze and hands fell to Keith's lap. He scooted back a little, plucking at the waistband of his boxers. "If I'm not doing something right, y-you'll tell me?" 

"Of course, baby. And I'll help you." 

That soothed most of his nerves, gaze flicking back up and lips quirking. "I think watching you would be... really nice."

Keith grinned. "Yeah? You want a little show?" 

Lance bit his lip. "I can get one?" 

"Of course. Just let me know where you want me." 

"Oh, um..." On top of him. Lance could see it so easily, so slipped off his lap. "If I... If I lay down, will you... Will you kind of... I want you on top. I l-like when you surround me."

Keith smiled, rising from the couch to kiss him. "I will. Go ahead and get comfortable." 

Lance scooted back, laying so he could prop his head comfortably against the arm rest and look down, fresh excitement coursing through his veins. "I was gonna- When I got that new phone, I was gonna look up p-porn to see how this all works," he admitted, "but this is a _lot_ better."

"Mmhm. You can still watch porn if you want. We could watch some together sometime," Keith suggested, slowly stripping off his boxers. 

He wanted to ask if Keith watched a lot, but his words were stolen with his breath as Keith completely bared himself. That was... That was more than he'd expected him to do. He wet his lips, briefly studying the subtle curve of his hips and the strength in his thighs, but his gaze was quickly drawn between them. It was different from his own, thicker, maybe a little shorter. He couldn't really tell from the angle, but that didn't matter. "Wow," he whispered. "Eres... Eres increíble... You're r-really gorgeous. Are you sure y-you want _me_?"

Keith smiled softly, straddling Lance's legs and hovering over him. "Yes, of course I want you. You obviously don't see it, which is a real shame, but you're _gorgeous_. But you're beautiful on the inside too, and that's what attracts me the most."

Lance reached up to stroke low on his abdomen, a little too nervous to go low enough just yet. "You are too. You make me happy."

"Good. That's the most important thing." 

Lance smiled, the curve as soft and shy as the fingertip he finally stroked over Keith's length. "I-is this important too?" he teased. 

Keith groaned, glancing down to watch his hand. He was so blessedly shy, his touch so hesitant, but it felt incredible all the same. "Fuck… M-maybe not _as_ important, but yeah."

"Yeah..." The sound made him shiver, emboldening him to touch a little more. He carefully wrapped his fingers around Keith, strokes soft and slow and testing. "A-are you sure this is gonna fit?" 

"Mmhm… It- It'll fit, baby," he assured him, moaning. "You'll just have to let me get you nice and open and wet first." 

Wet? he wondered quietly, deciding to just trust Keith since his focus was on either watching Keith's face or his dick more. He looked so pretty like this, above him and wanting him. It was amazing to know Keith wanted _him_. He looked down, rubbing the pad of his thumb against Keith's cockhead to encourage the liquid beading up. He gathered some, lifting his hand to his lips to lick it testingly. "Mm... Okay."

" _Fuck_ ," Keith breathed, feeling his dick twitch. "That's so hot."

Lance smiled up at him. "You should... You should get me more to try."

"Oh, I will." Keith sat back on his heels, smirking down at him as he took his length in hand and started stroking. "You wanna taste my come, baby?" 

So that's what he called it. That was a little sexier than the real word. A lot sexier. Lance reached out, cupping Keith's hips as he watched his hand work. It made him want to touch too, but he liked watching. Maybe he'd get a chance to do both. "Uh-huh. I'm- I like this."

"I bet you do," Keith purred, squeezing around his shaft and making more pre bead out of his tip. "I'll have to put on more shows for you."

Lance's eyes widened, hips lifting without even knowing what he was offering. "Y-yes, please. Eres perfecto..."

Keith smiled, moaning as he started to stroke himself faster. "They'll be an in-interactive show."

Oh, he loved hearing Keith's moans. They spilled over him, igniting something brand new in him. He tugged on Keith's hips a little, wanting him higher up. "Will you- I w-want- D-do it on my face."

" _Fuck_ , really?" God, Lance was a dream come true and he didn't even know it. He scooted further up Lance's body, situating himself on his heels so his weight wasn't on his boyfriend's abdomen, and sped up his hand faster still. "You're incredible, Lance. Can't believe you're all mine…" 

"Uh-huh." He wet his lips, gaze flicking from Keith's face to his length and back up again. "S-soy tuyo. 'I'm yours.'" He looked back down, a hand leaving Keith's hip to cover Keith's on his cock just to feel how he moved it. "A-all yours."

Keith groaned, twisting his wrist near the head and swiping his thumb over the slit. "All mine," he agreed breathlessly, "and I'm all yours." 

"Wow," he whispered, wetting his lips as he watched pre drip. "Eres mío. C-can I lick your...? Is that weird?" 

"None of it's weird, sweetheart. What is it you wanna do?" 

"Lick it. The tip. It's j-just so... wet."

"God, baby, of course you can. S'not weird at all," Keith murmured. 

Lance cupped his hips again, inching him just a little closer until he could flick his tongue over the tip, a soft moan spilling out as Keith's taste coated his taste buds. He licked again, slower and longer and absolutely clueless over how teasing it was. He just knew he liked it and was greedy for more, so wrapped his lips around Keith's cockhead and suckled, gazing up to make sure it was okay. 

Keith couldn't handle it, brought straight to the edge with just that look, the slow way Lance was exploring him. His hand slowed down, but he found he didn't need the extra stimulation for long. " _Lance_ , o-oh my god. I-I'm close. M'gonna come, baby." 

_Oh_. Lance squirmed beneath Keith, hands slipping to his thighs to feel the muscles bunch under his palms. "Sh-should I stop?" 

" _No_ , but if you w-want me to come on your face, you'll have to pull back when I say." 

Then he really liked Lance's mouth on him. "Okay," he murmured, feeling a little bubble of pride. He loved that he was making Keith feel good, so made a mental note to practice this some more. He'd probably like to be further in. Lance hummed thoughtfully around his head, unintentionally sending vibrations rippling over the sensitive skin, and rubbed his tongue hungrily against his slit to get every drop of pre. 

"Oh, fuck…" Keith didn't know if it was intuition or just very good luck, but Lance was doing so well. His technique was obviously a little sloppy, a little too hesitant, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed with some practice. And Keith was already planning on letting Lance practice as much as he wanted. He could just imagine him on his knees, those full, pretty lips wrapped firmly around his cock. He moaned at the thought, having to squeeze the base of his dick so he wouldn't come straight in Lance's mouth. "B-baby, you gotta- I'm coming." 

The texture had already changed, so Lance pulled off and had the forethought to slip off his glasses so they wouldn't get messy. His head tipped back a little so he could smile up at him. "I want you to."

The look sent him right over, the words helping to fuel his orgasm as he released the pressure and allowed himself to come. He groaned loudly, forcing his eyes to stay open so he could watch as the thick white ropes spurted over Lance's perfect skin. " _Lance_." 

He had to close his eyes, but left his lips parted to catch some in his mouth, licking his lips when the streaks eventually slowed down. He hadn't had any idea what to expect, so the saltiness was a little unexpected but he wouldn't call any of it bad. He liked it, even, and would very happily let Keith do this to him again. He could only open one eye after, gazing up at Keith's blurry features. "I- I _really_ like when you say my name like that."

Lance made quite the sight under him with his face coated in come. Keith nodded, leaning down to lick a stripe up his cheek. "Do this again and you'll keep hearing it. _Fuck_ , baby."

Lance hummed, cheeks coloring under his tongue. "I w-want to."

"God, you're perfect," Keith murmured, licking up more of his own mess before pressing his lips to Lance's. 

Lance wound his arms around Keith's neck, soft sigh spilling into the kiss. With so many new things experienced, it was nice to have something familiar. Even though it was tinged with a different flavor, one that made Lance shiver beneath him. It was even more intimate than normal. He could hardly believe he'd been brave enough to put his _mouth_ on Keith like that, couldn't believe that Keith would be debauched enough to lick his face and then kiss him. He loved it and looked forward to more.

When the kiss ended, he rubbed his brow to Keith's with a small, contented smile. "Is it always that good?" 

Keith smiled. "When you're with the right person, yeah." 

"I'm definitely with the right person. I want to clean my face, though."

"Mmhm. Let's go get cleaned up and we can finally watch that movie." 

Lance didn't think he'd make it through the first song, but his smile went teasing. "You mean I have to get up?" 

"Yes. If I have to, so do you." 

"That's mean." Lance toyed with the ends of Keith's hair. "You should be nice and carry me."

"I _guess_ ," he sighed teasingly, scooping Lance up into his arms bridal-style. "You're surprisingly light." 

"I'm not gifted with your muscle mass." Lance folded his glasses, still not risking putting them on. He didn't mind having only Keith's face crystal clear. "And you're just extra strong and extra hot." His smile turned a little shy, gaze falling. "And, um... Is it silly to say thank you? Because you made that a lot less scary than I thought it'd be."

Keith chuckled softly. "No, it's not silly. I know the first time doing anything sexual can be terrifying. I didn't want you to feel that with me." 

"I didn't. A little nervous and a little... confused? But never scared."

"Good. Nervous and confused are normal, but I never want you to be scared." 

Lance nodded, giggling when Keith set him right on the counter. "I don't think I'd ever be scared of you."

Keith grinned, kissing him quickly while reaching onto the shelf on the wall next to them for a washcloth. "Good."

Lance closed his eyes, letting Keith clean his face with the dampened cloth and smiled into the soft kiss Keith gave him when he finished. "Are you worried about tomorrow at all?" 

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But I'm confident that it'll work." 

Love filled his heart, filled his stomach with fluttering butterflies, and sparkled in his eyes. "I am too since you'll be there."

Keith smiled, resting their brows together. He could see the love in Lance's gaze, but couldn't quite identify it as such. "Mmhm. We're gonna get you out of there, once and for all." 

Lance hoped so. For the first time in a long time, he was willing to hold onto that hope and put his complete trust in someone else. It was a nice feeling and he was so grateful to Keith for helping him. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but an important one. More mentions of abuse.

Waking up beside someone was special. Lance woke up feeling warm and just _safe_ for the first time in as long as he could remember. He had a strong arm around his waist, holding him close, and their legs were entangled together under the soft blankets. It was the nicest way to wake up. 

After getting his glasses off the nightstand, he carefully turned onto his back to gaze up at Keith. A hand lifted to gently explore his features, fingertips just grazing over his skin. His cheekbones, his nose, his jawline. He was beautiful even in sleep, more like a doll than a real person, but he made Lance's heart sing. He was beginning to put a label on it, awed by just how big this emotion felt. It was certainly bigger than _like_ , but he'd never been in love before. If this was what it felt like, though, it really was the greatest thing he'd ever experienced. Maybe he'd tell him on his birthday. A heart seemed like an important gift, Lance still naive enough to believe in fairytales. 

His fingers and his heart briefly stopped when he realized those pretty amethyst eyes had opened, lips quirking just a little. Lance traced the curve, his own smile shy but so very bright. "Good morning, mi cielo."

Keith smiled back, licking the tip of Lance's finger. "Morning, baby. How'd you sleep?" 

His cheeks pinkened, his giggle soft. "Really good. I didn't combust."

"No, you didn't," Keith chuckled. "I'm very glad about that." 

"It would've been a mess to clean up." Warm, safe, and happy, Lance snuggled closer and softly kissed his boyfriend. "But this is really nice. I could get used to it."

"I really hope you do. You're gonna be staying here with me as many nights as I can have you." 

"Really?" 

"Yes. I love having you here, and I really loved waking up next to you this morning."

Lance smiled. "Even though I was touching you? I feel like I woke you up."

"You didn't." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I usually just wake up around this time anyway because I have to let Kosmo out." 

"And maybe breakfast?" 

Keith laughed. "Yeah, I can definitely make breakfast." 

"Okay. Not every morning, but it'd be really nice today."

"Definitely. We're both gonna need energy." 

Lance nodded, biting his lip. Right. There were more plans than just cuddling in bed all day. "Henry leaves at nine for work and Marcia has water aerobics at ten. She always goes to lunch afterwards with her friends, so if we leave by nine, we'll be okay."

Keith smiled softly, rubbing their noses together. "It'll be alright, baby. We'll be fine." 

"I know. I'm just... I'm a _little_ worried, but I trust you. And I know that house, so it'll be fine. We'll be fine."

"Absolutely. I believe in us." 

"Okay. So pupper, breakfast, and then we'll go."

Keith grinned. "That sounds like the perfect plan. I guess the only question now is what would you like for breakfast?" 

"Mm... I don't know what you have or what you can cook, and all breakfast is good."

"Pancakes and bacon it is, then." Laughing, Keith kissed him before rolling out of bed. Kosmo was at his feet in seconds, sitting patiently while he stretched. 

"Only if you have gluten-free mix," Lance reminded him, watching him stretch with a lot more interest than Kosmo. He loved the way Keith's body moved, subtle muscles flexing with the stretch, and bit his lip as he remembered how his skin had looked on the couch the night before. "But you can make pancakes for you. I'll just have eggs. That's fine."

"Nah, I still have gluten-free flour from when I made the garlic knots. Pancake batter is easy. Plus, I wouldn't want you to miss out on them." 

And there was that feeling again, that warm swelling in his heart. Lance hugged a pillow to his chest, watching Keith over it with shining eyes. "Eres muy dulce, mi cielo."

Keith smiled, unknowingly pouring his own strong feelings for Lance into the simple gesture. "I'm not sure exactly what that means, but you're welcome." 

Lance giggled into the pillow. "It means you're sweet. Very sweet."

"Hmm, not as sweet as you, baby," Keith murmured, brushing Lance's bangs back and leaning down to kiss his forehead. 

"Not when you do things like that."

Smiling, Keith straightened up. "I'm gonna go take Kosmo out. You can shower if you want or if you just want breakfast, I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to get up." 

"I'm okay. I had my bath last night. And I'll be up in a minute. I want to do a little yoga."

"Ooh, maybe I'll hold off on breakfast for a bit so I can watch," Keith teased. 

"My empty stomach thinks you can watch _and_ cook if I do it near the kitchen."

"Another perfect idea."

"I'm full of them this morning. It must be all that good sleep without any nightmares." _Wait_. "N-not that I have nightmares."

Keith's smile fell, reaching out to card his fingers through Lance's hair. "You have nightmares?" 

Lance sighed. "Not... Not as many as I used to, and I didn't have one last night. I'm okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Do you want to talk about them?" 

Lance bit his lip. Not really, but if Keith wanted him to stay more nights... "Can I tell you when we get back? It's too early to be sad."

"Of course, sweetheart. You don't even have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I do. And if you really want me to sleep with you, I should."

"I do want you to sleep with me. We'll get comfy later under a blanket and you can tell me anything you want." 

Lance smiled, reaching up to pull Keith down for a sweet kiss. "Help me get the pieces of my family back, and I'll tell you anything you want."

"Everything. I want to know everything there is about you. So I'll make sure we get everything from Marcia and Henry." 

"We will. Now go take Kosmo out. Her paws are dancing."

"I know. She's not used to waiting this long for me." He smiled down at her, scratching behind her ear. "Let's go out and go potty, sweetie," he murmured, and she barked once before bolting to the door. 

Lance smiled, watching them disappear from the bedroom, and rested his chin atop the pillow with a soft, happy sigh. Keith really did make him feel special and, even though he was terrified of what Marcia and Henry could do, he was sure Keith could keep him safe. That he _would_ keep him safe. It'd be fine. He just had to keep believing that. 

\----

But he was trembling when they pulled up to his adopted parents' house. It was only one floor with an unfinished attic Lance had spent a lot of time hiding in. He slipped off the motorcycle when Keith killed the engine, tapping the sides of the helmet when he took it off. "I-I d-don't think w-we should leave the motorcycle h-here. There's- The n-neighbors are n-nosy."

"Okay. Where should I park it?" 

"Um..." Lance bit his lip, looking at the three garage doors. "The m-middle one. I'll go open it."

"Alright, baby. Can you get the door from out here or do you have to go through the house?" 

"G-go in. B-but I need to t-turn off the security system a-anyway."

"Okay, baby." Keith smiled encouragingly. "I'll wait out here for you to open the door." 

Lance nodded, keeping his arms around the helmet as he scurried to the porch. He hadn't been scared, but he was now. What if they came home early? What if they had moved his family's things? What if they'd changed the safe combination? It took three stabs with shaky fingers to get the spare key into the lock. He put it back in the hide-a-key flower pot and stepped inside, hearing Marcia berate him for being so damn slow. Lazy Hispanic.

He winced, but the only real sounds were the beeping of the alarm warning. One minute to shut it off. He plugged in the code and closed the door behind him before running to the garages. It was different wearing jeans and sneakers inside. He hadn't done so since the first day he'd lived there, an excited ten-year-old ready to experience a life like Annie. A new mom and dad to love him. 

He wiped his eyes before pressing the garage door opener, the center door rising slowly. He'd been naive at ten and maybe in some ways - a lot of ways - he still was, but he knew the man pushing his motorcycle into hiding cared about him more than the homeowners ever had. "W-we shouldn't b-be here long."

"Mm-mm, not if they've got everything in the same place." Keith took his helmet off and set it on the seat, taking Lance's and resting it there too before finally taking Lance's face in. His eyes were watery, a little red with unshed tears. He smiled softly, reaching out to cup his cheek. "You okay, sweetheart?" 

Lance tipped into the touch. "N-no," he admitted softly. "I'm scared a-and..." This was really the beginning of the end of his dream. "They... They'll n-never love me and I tried so h-hard."

Keith's heart broke for him all over again. "Oh, baby. It's not your fault, at _all_. You didn't do _anything_ wrong, you hear me? Some people are just selfish and apathetic. They don't deserve you."

"You do," Lance whispered, turning his head to kiss his palm. "Can I tell you stories without you getting mad? About living here?" 

"I can't promise I won't, but I'll try. I _can_ promise that I'll restrain myself from destroying anything out of anger." 

"That's a good enough promise for me." Lance took his hand and closed the garage door. "Come on, mi cielo. I think if I show you around, I can explain some of my nightmares easier."

Keith was nervous to hear about them, but nodded. "Okay. I really hate that you have nightmares at all." 

"I... I've always had them. They used to be _really_ bad, but they've gotten a lot better. One of the things I liked about foster care was getting to see a therapist. I had to stop after I got adopted. Therapy's not the image they wanted to project." As they passed the kitchen, Lance pointed at it. "We had a cook until last year. She was from Honduras and spoke Spanish. She helped me stay fluent and she'd let me try everything she made and sometimes she'd make me something special. She made these guava cookies the day before she got fired and I almost made myself sick, I ate so many."

Keith smiled softly, squeezing his hand. "Sounds like she was a really special lady."

"Mmhm. One day, I'm going to track her down again and give her a hug."

"I'll help you."

Lance smiled. "Thank you, Keith." He led him through one of the living rooms, gesturing to a spiral staircase that looked more decorative than useful. "There's an unfinished attic they use for storage. I'd go up there and hide whenever I thought I could get away with it. I'd read a lot."

"Mm, well, you won't have to hide yourself away any more," Keith promised, kissing his hand. "Never again." 

Not with him. It was the sweetest possible sentiment. "I know. Can I still read?" he teased. 

"Baby, you can do whatever you want." 

"Maybe I can." Lance squeezed his hand, but his smile fell a little as they approached the first bedroom and he shifted closer to Keith's side. "That's their room."

Keith glared at the doorway, glancing into the room as they passed. It was simple, with a king bed and two nightstands on either side, an armoire against one wall and what he assumed to be a closet door on the other. Funny how such a simple room could be so terrifying just because of the people occupying it. "It's ugly." 

A little gasp of a giggle bubbled out of him. "Holy crow, Keith." But then he looked inside. He'd always been scared of it, but... "It _is_ ugly."

Keith smiled, kissing his cheek. "Told you."

Lance laughed, pulling him away from the door. They went by bathrooms and a spare bedroom, the layout a little confusing with the way it jutted around, but Lance soon stopped at and carefully pushed open a door. It was dark even after he switched on a light, curtains drawn over the windows and the desk made of a dark wood. The desk chair behind it was black and Lance bit his lip hard before crossing the threshold. "I-I'm actually n-not allowed in h-here unless... Unless I'm g-getting in trouble. I-it's soundproof."

Keith's vision blurred, tinted red in anger. He promised not to destroy stuff, but he couldn't stop the _urge_ to just wreck everything in that room. "You mean this is where they took you to beat you. You can say it, Lance, because that's what it was. It wasn't punishment, because I doubt you've done anything really wrong in your whole life. They're abusing you, and it's not right."

Lance looked down, wringing his hands together. He didn't want to say it. It sounded harsh and maybe it had been and maybe that was the right word, but he didn't want to call it that. "I, um... The first time i-it was because I corrected M-Marcia. It was my first t-time meeting her friends and one of them said i-it was nice of her to adopt a poor Mexican and I w-was like, no, I'm Cuban and Marcia g-got this _look_ on her face and Henry brought me in here and... You don't correct her. Ever. Her _or_ her friends because it's embarrassing." He swallowed, biting his lip when he lifted his gaze back to Keith. "R-running away's gonna embarrass her too, but... But she c-can't stop me and n-neither can he."

"No, they can't." Keith pulled him into a hug, kissing the top of his head. Lance was being so brave and Keith was so proud of him for it, his heart steadily filling with what he recognized as love. It was as scary as the situation they were in now, but this was one time he didn't mind being afraid. "You're safe with me. And you're going to continue to be safe with me." 

Lance nodded, shoulders relaxing as comfort seeped in. He held onto Keith's shirt, nuzzling into his neck. "I know. I'm never afraid with you. I mean... I'm scared now, but that doesn't count. It's not your fault."

"I know, baby. But we're not going to be here long. Let's just get everything so we can get the hell out of here, hm?" 

"Mmhm. I want to grab a couple things out of my room too. Stuff that has my name on it so they can't say I stole it." Lance kissed him before drawing back, shifting Keith's galaxy backpack off his shoulders and setting it on Henry's desk chair. The bookcase behind the desk had an obvious set of plastic books, the binders still shiny despite paint chipping at the corners, and Lance quickly moved them aside. "Sometimes, they need stuff out of here and don't want to get up. So I get sent in. They always... They always come in behind me to make sure I don't take anything." But he was going to now. "Will you take a picture when I open it and then again before we leave? So we have proof just in case."

"Of course, baby." 

"Thank you, Keith." 

Lance turned back to the safe and swung it open. Fear stilled him for only a moment until he squared his shoulders and started emptying it. They were mean, but they were organized. Lance found his bank statements easily, eyes going wide when he saw the six digit figure. "Holy... Holy _shit_. No wonder Marcia wants in here. Look."

Keith glanced at it, his own eyes rounding. It obviously wasn't nearly as much as he'd seen in his parents' account, but for Lance it was _big_. "Holy shit," he echoed. "That's all your inheritance?" 

"Mmhm. Life insurance on my parents, my share of the lawsuit, a-and everything that wasn't used to pay debts and the... the funerals after their things were sold. I guess it's been gathering interest too.” Cripes, it was almost _seven_ figures. "I can pay you back for school. I know I don't have to because you're- you're amazing, but I _can_." Lance bit his lip, gearing himself up to manage, "And M-Marcia can... She can g-go fuck herself."

Keith laughed, leaning in to kiss him soundly. "Yeah she can. Her and Henry. That money is _yours_."

Lance nodded, closing the folder and adding it to the backpack. Smiling, feeling far more confident, he started to move with more purpose. Two shoeboxes and two binders came out, then a photo album that he opened just to make sure there weren't any blank spots on the pages. He had to blink back tears more than once, but he didn't want to cry about it yet. He'd cry when they were home under a soft blanket like Keith had promised.

"I think that's every..." Trailing off, Lance pulled out another binder with his name on it and gasped when he opened it to sort through the papers. "My diagnoses! Look, it's all doctor paperwork. My acalculia is in here too. I can take this to school and get my modifications!" 

"Mmhm. And you can just drop that program altogether next semester, get into classes that _you_ want to take." 

"I can," he breathed, blinking back more tears as he hugged the binder to his chest. "Law school takes forever, though, and I'm already really behind you. Are you gonna feel weird dating me after you graduate?" 

"Not at all, baby. I feel too strongly about you to care about that stuff." 

Lance nodded, tucking the binder in with the rest of the paperwork before opening the shoeboxes to make sure everything was there. There were two jewelry boxes. One was ornate and wooden, largely filled with costume jewelry, but someone had looked at it and known to keep it. "I _think_ this was my grandma's. It has mom's maiden name carved on the bottom, but not her first name. And this..."

He opened the smaller black box and turned it to show Keith the bands inside. The golden bands were a little dull from time, but the silver engagement ring still shone with a vibrant sapphire right in the center. It was a modest stone, but it didn't matter to Lance and it hadn't mattered to his mother. "These are theirs. I really like my mom's ring. I used to wear it a lot even when the other kids would tease me for wearing jewelry. I heard it's bad luck to reuse wedding rings if the marriage ended badly, but I don't think an accident counts. Do you? There are pictures in the album of my sisters trying on my mom's wedding ring and it's so big on them, so I don't- I don't think they'd mind if I ever used their rings. Marcia laughed at me and said they were too plain, but I think she's wrong. I'd put the engagement ring with her perfume, though, in one of those- those boxes? That hang up? I wouldn't feel right using that again."

"A shadow box, right? That would be a nice way to display them to remember her by. We'll go get you one."

He didn't have anywhere to hang it, but it would be much nicer than leaving everything in an old shoebox. "Okay." Smiling, he closed the box and returned it before picking up an old watch. It was gold-plated, tarnished in spots and rubbing off in others, but Lance didn't care. He slipped it on over his wrist and clipped it, shoulders sagging a little as he stared at it. "The last time... The last time I got to wear this, it didn't fit. The battery's really dead, but it was my dad's. My favorite picture is him and my mom dressed up kinda nice and it says 'dad wearing his nice watch' and mom was wearing her 'nice earrings.' They're in the jewelry box."

Keith smiled sadly, taking Lance's hand and looking at the watch more closely. "It's really nice, and I'm sure we can find someone around here who can replace the battery. You should be able to wear it if you want." 

Lance squeezed his hand. "That'd be really nice." But he slipped the watch off and returned it to the box so it wouldn't get lost on the ride back. The second box had a set of children's things. Lance knew they'd been selected by a family friend while he'd still been in the hospital. A pair of ballet shoes, a doll, a half-filled sketchbook, and a robotic toy. Budding dreams and fun. Lance quietly closed that box and checked the safe a final time. There was a tucked away folder that made him shiver, but he still added it to the backpack before quietly returning Marcia and Henry's things to the vault. He sealed and locked it, pushing the fake books back in front. 

"I... I'm probably gonna cry a lot tonight? So if you just want to take me back to the dorm, that'll be okay."

Keith shook his head, taking his hand again and kissing the back. "Mm-mm. I don't want you to be alone tonight." And while he knew Hunk would be there, it was different. "I think you'd feel a lot better if you got to cuddle up next to someone." 

"I-I do too, but... I don't want to make _you_ sad."

"No, don't worry about that, baby. Your comfort is more important." 

He didn't think it was, but he wasn't going to say no. He wanted some affection, someone to talk to who'd let him cry. "Okay. Will you carry the boxes? I'm gonna get a couple things out of my room and then we can go."

"Mmhm, sounds good. I feel like the longer I'm standing in this house, the more I just want to put my fist through a wall," he muttered, stacking the boxes and gathering them up. 

"I know, mi cielo." Lance zipped up the bag and bobbed up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for not. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Me neither, especially since I have no idea what they'd do." 

"Press charges for damage to personal property. You'd most likely end up with a plea deal and just get probation or community service, but it'd still be something on your record."

Keith chuckled. "Listen to you. You already sound like you're in law school." 

Beaming, Lance stepped out of the office ahead of him and held the door open. "I told you I've read a lot."

"Obviously. You're gonna make a great lawyer, I can already tell." 

His cheeks pinkened with pleasure. "I hope so. Bad lawyers aren't helpful."

Keith chuckled. "No, they’re definitely not." 

"I want to go into family law, so don't think you can start putting holes in any old wall after I graduate. I won't be able to help you." It was exciting to be able to dream, to be able to _share_ them. For the first time, Lance walked through these halls with some joy in his step. His bedroom certainly wasn't a reflection of that, though. It was beige. Beige walls, white desk, white bookshelves that looked as though they were about to collapse, and a bed that looked - and was - too small for Lance's long legs. It had been stripped after his visit, so was just a mattress and pillow on a frame. He didn't even have a headboard. 

It was almost like a prison and, in some ways, it was. Lance went to the closet, opening the depressing array of button-ups and vests, but ignored them to reach up for a soft box. After setting it down, it was clearly filled to the brim with orange medication bottles. Lance dug through until he found his two backup inhalers and, oddly, a little shirt. "This was my soccer jersey," he cheerfully explained. "My one from the orphanage. After Marcia threw my other ones away, I've been hiding this one. I couldn't sneak it to college because she inspected everything."

"That's so dumb. Good thing you won't have her hovering over you now."

"I don't mind hovering. You and Hunk do that. It's... It's the controlling I don't want anymore." He considered a moment before taking two of the bottles out and then closed the box, returning it to the shelf. He shuffled to the back of the narrow closet, crouching down and fussing with the carpet. When he rose, he was clutching a small coin purse. "I used to have all this stuff together in a go-bag, but I took the duffel to the dorms and had to hide all the individual stuff around here and hope she didn't find any of it."

"She didn't, right? You have everything?" 

Lance opened the coin purse and nodded. "Mmhm. I pulled up a piece of the carpet for this and put my jersey under my medicine and just hid my meds with the expired ones. That's basically the whole box. Other than that, I just had some clothes but I'm not taking any of them."

"Definitely not if they're those awful button-ups. Although…" Keith trailed off, smirking wickedly. "It would be fun to watch your face as I rip them open and off your body." 

"O-oh." Lance ducked his head, but couldn't hide the smile or his blush. "I... I've got button-ups in the dorm, so..."

"Oh, I'm definitely gonna ruin some of those." 

"Okay." Lance stepped closer, bobbing up to brush their lips together. "You'd get me in so much trouble if they were still in control of me."

"See, I wouldn't do it if I knew you'd get in trouble. But maybe we can fool around and dirty them up and just ship them back here to them." 

Lance giggled, rubbing their noses together before he dropped back down to tuck everything in the bag. After pulling it over his shoulders, he turned back to Keith with a smile. "I think you're trying to corrupt me."

Keith grinned. "You caught me." 

"I mean, you didn't have to try very hard. I'm in jeans and sneakers. The only thing that would make me _more_ rebellious right now is if I was in one of those big, comfy looking sweater dresses."

"Mm… Those are nice. Gives me easy access," he teased, reaching down to pinch a thigh. 

Lance danced away from him on a laugh, picking the shoeboxes up from the desk. "I don't have anything like that, but after last night I... I kinda like the idea of giving you access."

"Good. Then I'm gonna get you a couple of those dresses to wear around the house." 

"Colorful ones?" 

"Yes, definitely. I like seeing you in actual color." Not the boring gray sweater vests where the only color would be a different stitching. 

"Okay." Lance swayed a little, biting his lip. If they were already having this conversation... "Will you pick something out for me to wear for you on your birthday? Something..." He stumbled over "sexy," giving up quickly. "Something just for you to see. After everybody leaves."

"Ooh, you want me to get you something revealing? Something I'll want to just rip off of you once I see you in it?" 

He wasn't sure about the second part, even though it made heat flare in his gut. He wanted to give himself to Keith completely, heart and body, and the idea of doing that fast and hard his first time had nerves joining that excitement. "O-okay. But you won't l-let it hurt, right?"

"No, of course not, baby. I'm taking things slow with you your first time. This time doesn't even have to be your first time if you're not ready. You're not gonna disappoint me or anything." 

"I want it to be. I trust you and I want... I want to give you me."

Keith smiled softly, drawing him in for a sweet kiss. "Then I'll make it so good for you. The best." 

Lance nodded, eyes shining. "I know you will. But I'm ready to leave now. And... And I don't ever want to come back."

"You're not going to," Keith promised. "You don't _have to_." 

"It's... It's kinda..." Lance bit his lip. He'd have to see Marcia and Henry again, but he didn't have to come back to this house. He had everything he needed. "It's a lot, but... Thank you for helping me."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Anytime, seriously." 

"We don't have to do this ever again, but... When they show up again..." Lance bit his lip. "You'll be with me?" 

"Yes, of course."

Lance smiled, shifting the shoeboxes to better balance them as he turned around. "Then let's go, mi cielo. I want to look through everything. I haven't seen some of it in years."

"Mmhm. I'd like to see some of those pictures if you don't mind sharing them." 

"I'd love to, Keith. I'd like you to see my family."

Keith smiled, kissing his cheek. "I can't wait."

Lance couldn't either, even though he knew he'd cry. He'd been fighting tears since they'd pulled up, after all, and a couple had fallen. "Yeah. I-" He jolted when his phone chimed, quickly pushing the boxes into Keith's arms so he could dig it out and check. "Henry just left the office? That's... weird. It's not even lunchtime yet."

"Uh… Do you think your neighbors…?"

"I don't know. They would've called Marcia. She likes answering her phone when she's around other people because it makes her look popular." 

"Well, we should get the hell out of here before we find out."

"Yeah. Let's go. Um. I'll close the garage door behind you and meet you by the front door. I'll have to turn on the security system."

"Okay, baby." Keith kissed his cheek. "I'll see you outside." 

"Mmhm." Lance bit his lip, staring at his phone until Keith physically lowered it and nudged him along. It got him moving, the little bit of support all he needed to do what was necessary. It was invaluable and he hoped he never lost it. He was so tired of being alone. 

\----


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for more mentions of abuse and also smut, cuz we wouldn't be us without some smut.
> 
> Honestly, the anxious comments on the last chapter were giving us life. We've tried adding a little more drama into this fic, since we're not exactly known for that, but we'd never hurt our boys like that. Maybe... 👀👀

Henry, oddly, was at a local motel when they stopped at Keith's house. Lance frowned at the screen as they made their way up the porch, putting it away so he could save the shoeboxes Keith carried and distract Kosmo with pets and a hug. "I don't get why he'd be at some motel for at _least_ an hour before lunch. It makes me want to call his office but that would be so suspicious."

Leaving work early to go to a motel was such a typical thing for an adulterer to do, but Keith bit his lip. "Can you see what motel it is? Or what the address is?" 

"Yeah, I can." Once he had, Lance shook his head, frown even more confused. "I know he doesn't do the books for this place. He made me work there all summer. Well, Marcia made me. I didn't really see a lot of Henry while I was there. I didn't really try either."

"No, I can tell why you wouldn't." Keith glanced at Lance's phone over his shoulder, pulling his own out. "So what motel is it?" He plugged it into a quick search when Lance rattled off the name, biting his lip when a short description popped up. It wasn't a four-star hotel in the slightest, and still even accepted cash payments. He shook his head, trying not to let the wickedly excited feeling tinge his voice too much. "He's there to do something, but it's not the books."

"Well, if he wants a nap he should go home. He knows Marcia's schedule as well as I do."

"Sweetheart… He's there to do some _one_. He's totally cheating on Marcia." 

"Oh." Lance's frown cleared after a moment, surprise quickly replacing it. " _Oh_. You think so?" 

"Yes, I would bet money on it. There's no reason he should be leaving work an hour _before_ lunch to go to a seedy motel on the other side of town. He's there with another woman, I guarantee it." 

"But Henry doesn't know any other women except Marcia's friends and his secretary. And, like, I don't get why he doesn't fire her. She _sucks_. Like she's nineteen but she always wears all this fancy jewelry and fancy little skirts and they'd spend _ages_ in Henry's office. I was basically the secretary all summer, not her."

"Oh, my god, he's _totally_ fucking his nineteen-year-old secretary!" Keith threw his head back and laughed as the giddiness finally bubbled over. "And she sucks, alright. Sucks his _dick_ under his desk. Holy _shit_ , Lance. We stumbled upon a _goldmine_." 

Lance stared at him, eyes wide in surprise. They had? "We did?" 

" _Yes_! If we can gather enough proof, we can out him to Marcia. We could out him to Marcia's _friends_. Could you imagine how humiliated she would be then?" 

Surprise and confusion routed itself to strategy, Lance looking back down at his phone and biting his lip. She'd be _furious_. Between Lance's abrupt departure to be with a man and Henry sleeping with someone half _her_ age... "Her whole life would be over. I don't go to Yale like she's been saying and I've got a boyfriend with tattoos and piercings. _And_ she's over fifty even though she tells everybody she's forty-five. So that makes Louise... Um. A lot younger. She'd be ruined in the whole community."

Keith grinned. "Perfect. We'll tear them apart and destroy their carefully built image. It's just what they deserve for treating you like shit." 

"How do we do that without him trying to kill me again?" 

All of Keith's excitement suddenly drained out of him. "Wait, trying to _kill_ you? _Again_?" 

Lance flushed, quickly backtracking. "W-well, I don't know if h-he was really trying to k-kill me. I don't remember a-anything after h-he broke my glasses. B-but it's- I'm probably j-just exaggerating."

Keith shook his head. "Not when he's been abusing you for literally years. If I didn't want to go to jail for murder, I'd kill _him_." 

"Well, I don't want you to go to jail either. I... But it happened the last time I mentioned his secretary to Marcia. It was my third day working there and Henry said Marcia would pick me up because he had to work late. Louise pulled him into his office and they closed the door. So I waited outside and when Marcia picked me up, she asked me who was all at the meeting so I was like Louise and Henry and then said there wasn't a meeting. Everybody else had gone home. She didn't talk to me after that, just asked a _lot_ of questions about Louise and I was honest. I didn't know her very well.

"Then that night, Marcia actually spent a long time screaming at Henry. Stuff like 'I'll own half that business when I'm through with you' and screeching about whores and it was all nonsense to me. When it got quiet, I finally tried to go to sleep but Henry yanked me out of bed and wanted to know what I'd said to Marcia on the way home and I tried to tell him, but... He'd never hit me in the face before. It's harder to hide those bruises. But he hit me _hard_ and my glasses shattered and cut me and the next thing I knew, it was morning and I was at the bottom of the spiral staircase and Marcia was screaming at me for getting blood on the floor and for being out of bed. She actually took me to the hospital, which was really weird, and told the doctors I'd fallen down the stairs. So... I don't know. I never talked about Louise after that."

"Oh, forget it. He's fucking dead." Except Lance looked a little scared, so Keith sighed and took him over to the couch, pulling him onto his lap. "I'm sorry that happened, baby. But it'll never happen again. And once we get enough proof to bring Henry down, you'll never have to see either of them again."

"Okay." Lance snuggled close, happy to be cradled in his lap after their stressful morning. "There's a piece in our app that can be manipulated into letting someone see through their camera. Hunk knows how. So maybe... Maybe instead of us spying on him in person... We spy on him that way?" 

And potentially _see_ him actually fucking his secretary? It sounded gross, but also like just what they needed. "Yeah. And we'll record it somehow. I don't know, they're smarter than me, but we'll get that proof." 

"Do you think Hunk and Pidge would help?" 

"Absolutely. Pidge is always down for scandals and I bet Hunk would help because he's just as adamant as I am to get you away from them. I'm sure he'd help us bring them down." 

"Okay." Lance laid his cheek on Keith's shoulder, toying with his shirt. "Can we ask tomorrow so I can spend the rest of the day just being with you? I want to look at all my family stuff."

Keith smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "Definitely tomorrow. Today we'll try to get some of your stuff straightened out too." 

"Like what?" 

"I don't know, we could make little piles for things you'd want to keep in a shadow box and maybe go get a small safe for the more important things you want to keep, well, safe." 

Lance's eyes sparkled behind his lenses, his smile just as bright. "Really? You'd do that for me?" 

"Of course, baby. I've already helped you take back what's yours. I'm with you the whole way, through every step." 

"Okay! I'd really like that. I know some stuff I'd want in a shadow box. All my siblings' things and my mom's. You should smell her perfume. There's only a little bit left in the bottle because I'd spray it when I was sad because, y’know, I didn't realize things got empty and I was sad a lot. And Marcia poured some out once when she caught me sneaking the bottle to my room. But it's my favorite smell in the whole world."

Keith smiled, squeezing him firmly. "Do you know if they still make it? We could go get another bottle of it."

"I don't know. It's not like I've been able to look it up, but that would be amazing." Smiling, he kissed Keith's cheek and hopped up to get the shoeboxes and backpack. He set them up on the coffee table, sitting on the floor to start sorting through everything. He slipped his dad's watch on again and picked up a box of cigars that had been underneath the jewelry box. "This was my dad's too. He brought it with him when he moved from Cuba. I only know because the person who picked this stuff out wrote me a nice letter. It said why she'd picked what she had and what the items meant to my family. She put in some stories, too, which was really nice. I hope I still have it somewhere in all this."

"I hope so too." Meaning, for Lance's sake, he hoped Marcia hadn't decided to just toss it out one day. 

Lance looked back at him, smile soft. Tears were already threatening, but his voice sounded cheerful. "Thanks. But, yeah, I've got my dad's watch and his cigars. Then my mom's perfume and jewelry box... Her engagement ring and their wedding bands. My siblings' things..." He reached in and started to very gently take everything out. "So their stuff, I'd want in a shadow box. The ballet shoes were Rachel's. And the sketchbook was Luis's. He was really talented. There's a picture of a dog in here that I really love. We had one. This little havanese with a cute little bow. I'll have to show you a picture, but they're my favorite dog. Then the robot was Marco's. He liked to build stuff, so he had a bunch. But this one was his favorite. The doll was Veronica's. She wasn't very girly, y’know? She liked her hair short and she played softball, but she always had her doll. So she had some softness under all that cool tomboy."

"They all sound like they were amazing, baby." It made Keith feel a little homesick, but mostly just heartbroken. He didn't want Lance to feel sad, though it seemed like talking about his family was at least a little freeing. "I'm glad you were able to hang onto memories of them, and that we were able to get all this stuff back for you. We should definitely put their things in a shadow box."

"Yeah. They should go on display." Lance set the empty box aside with the other, then unzipped the backpack to start unloading the folders and binders. "I want to put all this in a safe. Do you have a copier? I should make copies of my medical records for the school so I get the modifications I need. This semester's been hell."

"I know, but you have done really well despite all that." Reaching out, Keith ruffled Lance's hair. "And yes, I have a copier."

"Okay." Lance scooted back, settling between Keith's legs. "The rest of it doesn't really excuse me for school. Just the brain issues." He swallowed, closing his eyes. "It excuses me from metal detectors, though. I have a plate in my head because part of my skull was messed up and I was too little to take ribs from. Did you know that? They'll use rib bones when the brain is swelling so it has more room or something."

"No, I didn't know that." Keith carded his fingers through Lance's hair, scritching against his scalp on every other pass through. "That was from the car accident?" 

Lance nodded, closing his eyes. "Everything is because of the car accident. The swelling messed up my eyes, my knee, and my whole body. I'm missing organs and pieces of them because it was the only way to keep me alive. Because... Because everybody else died. It was... It was a massive crash. There were five vehicles involved and we were in the middle. Thirteen people died because a bus driver was drunk, so we were all squished between a bus and a semi." Tears started to fall, slipping down his cheeks despite his shut eyes, and he decided to tell the rest. "And when I asked Marcia to let me get my permit when I was fifteen, she... She made me look at the pictures. And there was... There's v-video too. I h-have everything from the c-criminal case and the l-lawsuit and it's all there a-and... They all d-died. So many people, Keith, and I can't stop having nightmares about it."

Keith slid off the couch to sit on the floor with him, gathering Lance into his lap and holding him close. "I'm so sorry, baby. I can't imagine how hard that was." And how much of a _bitch_ Marcia was to make him actually fucking _watch_ the video and look at the pictures from the crash that killed his entire family. "You mentioned therapy when you were in the orphanage. Did that help?" 

"Y-yeah. I h-had somebody to talk to, a-and I wasn't a-always alone." Lance clung to his shirt, soft sobs shaking his shoulders. "I h-hate being alone."

Keith rubbed his back, kissing the top of his head. "You're not alone anymore. You have me and Hunk and Pidge. And Kosmo," he added when she nosed at Lance's cheek. "And, if you want, I'll help you find a new therapist. I know that talking things out is sometimes the best thing." 

"It's okay. Somebody... Someone would h-have to take me and I don't want... I d-don't want to be a problem." Lance scratched Kosmo behind the ears, smiling a little when she licked his cheek. "I know, perrita, I'm crying on your papi. I'm sorry."

"Mm-mm, don't be sorry, baby. And you're not a problem. I'd be happy to take you to therapy if you wanted to go back. We could always make a date night of it after your appointment."

That didn't sound bad and he wasn't against the idea of therapy. It would make him feel less guilty than dumping everything on his friends. "Okay. Maybe... Maybe after we're done with Marcia and Henry? Like really, really done?" 

Keith smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Okay, baby. Anything you want to do, I'll support you."

"Okay." Lance nudged Kosmo so he could turn in Keith's lap. He didn't want to go anywhere, but he reached for the photo album so they could see the aging photographs. "Do you want to see the pictures?" 

"Mmhm. I'd love to see your family, baby." 

Lance opened the album, snuggling comfortably against Keith as he started to go through what had clearly been intended as a scrapbook. Some pages were decorated and dated with a little description, but most were just pictures placed hurriedly in a book to preserve for a toddler clinging to life in a hospital bed. Lance didn't care, so enamored with these snapshots of life. His life would've been so different with these smiling, playful people. There were pictures of a little girl in a tutu, one boy studiously drawing or napping on his sketchbook, another boy standing with a tall man bent over a broken apart lawn mower, and a girl with scraped knees and a ball cap pulled over short red hair reading a book to a doll. 

Lance's dreams would've been nurtured with this family and maybe he would've gone down a completely different path. There were pages of them at the beach or a pool, even after a baby joined the array of kids. There were more pictures of his mom after that, holding him and teaching his older siblings how to be gentle with a baby. A determined little face as he took his first steps and a bright baby-tooth smile as he hugged the little lapdog who was just as big as him. 

"That's her. That was our dog. Isn't she cute? The lady's letter said they got her when I was one, so we only had her a year. Her name was Luna."

She was such an adorable little puppy, and Lance obviously loved her, even at such a young age. It made him recall the offhand comment that Lance had made about Kosmo needing a friend. A sister. An idea formed then. Maybe he could find a dog just like Luna for Lance, call her a therapy dog. It would help him not feel so alone all the time and it would be a good companion for Kosmo.

Smiling, the plan already forming in his mind, Keith kissed Lance's cheek. "She is really cute."

"They're Cuban, too. They were bred to be lap dogs for Cuban aristocrats." Lance stroked Kosmo’s back, smiling down at her. "But you're special too, perrita. Even though you're too big for laps."

"She's a good girl." But definitely not small enough for laps. "If you could have another dog like Luna, would you get one?" 

"Yes. I love their hair bows and how cuddly they are."

Keith chuckled. "Okay, that's good to know." 

Lance smiled, turning pages. There were more pictures of the dog, scattered in their lives until the pages ended. The last page was just a few scattered pictures of Lance growing up, some not even printed on photo paper. They looked like they'd been printed off a website. Lance didn't look at them, closing the book and leaning against Keith. "I... I'd like to frame some of these and scan them all before they get ruined."

"Mmhm, we can definitely do that. I know if we send in some of the more worn ones, we could get them digitally restored too." 

Lance turned in his lap, straddling his waist and nuzzling their brows together. "Can we really?" 

"Yeah, we just scan them individually and email them in, then they send back the copies all fixed up. We can print them from there too." 

"That'd be really great, Keith. They're not that bad, but I didn't really take care of them when I was little."

"Mm, I understand. It's a good thing technology is what it is today."

"Yeah, it is." Lance brushed their lips together. "And it's a good thing I have someone like you to help me navigate it."

Keith smiled. "Mmhm. I like being your navigator." 

"I just like being yours."

"I like you being mine too," Keith murmured, kissing him sweetly. "And I like being yours." 

Lance giggled into another kiss. "I'm really glad you do. This morning's been... hard, but good. I feel like I've got a real plan for freedom and someone to share it with. And I've got my family back."

"Yeah you do. I'm really happy we were able to go get everything for you today."

"We did! We got everything that's important!" Lance wriggled happily in his lap. "All my papers and pictures and stuff and- And I can get an ID. I looked it up on the school computer and I can just get a state ID. I don't need a whole driver's thing. So that'd be _so_ easy. A-and now I can start wearing other clothes and I don't have to be what they want anymore."

Keith smiled, though all the movement was starting to make him stir in his jeans. "No, you don't. You can finally be _you_ , baby. And I'll take you to get your ID and everything, anything else you want." 

"You will? Really?" Lance bit his lip, shaking his head. He could already see the answer. "I know. I know you will. I just- I have to get used to it." 

Chuckling, Keith cupped his cheek. "Well, I hope you do get used to it, 'cause I'm not going anywhere." 

Lance smiled, pressing closer. "You're not allowed. I like you right here."

"Right here, huh? Like _right here_ , right here? You got plans for me or something?" 

Lance bit his lip, slowly rolling his hips. He hadn't, but the thought was there and he knew how Keith's hands felt on him now. And after the high stress morning, he wouldn't mind a release and didn't think Keith would either. "Well... Kosmo’s right here, but if you wanted to maybe take me somewhere else..."

"Mm… Would you be okay if I took you to my bed?" he murmured, kissing along his jaw. 

Lance shivered. "Y-yes. I w-want to touch you. I want us both to feel good."

"Me too." Smiling, Keith wrapped his arms around Lance's waist and stood up, carrying him easily. "What do you want to do to me?" 

Lance held onto his shoulders, leaning in to nuzzle into his neck. He nipped lightly, instinctively licking the little bite to soothe. "R-right now or just ever?" 

Keith groaned softly. "Both. But tell me what you want to do right now." 

"Hear more sounds like that. How do I do that?" 

"Honestly, just keep doing what you're doing." 

"Okay." Lance plucked at his shirt, smile soft. "Can I kiss your tattoos?" 

"Hell yeah, baby. You can do whatever you want." 

"Okay." He started kissing along Keith's jawline since he liked when Keith did that to him, teeth nipping softly. "I just... I really want to touch you and... I don't know. I just want to learn how to make you feel good."

"Mm, well, you're doing the best thing to learn. Just explore, baby. I'll always tell you if there's something you do that I don't like. I want you to do the same." 

"Okay. I don't know what I don't like. But, um... I don't think I want you to take off my shirt yet. The bruises are still too dark, and I don't... I want to look good for you."

"Baby, you always look good, but I won't take it off if you really don't want me to," Keith promised. 

"It's just... They make you mad," Lance mumbled, "and I don't want that."

"It only makes me mad that that asshole would touch you like that. It's never directed at you." 

"I know, but..." He didn't want Keith to be mad. It made him nervous even though he knew Keith wouldn't hurt him, but he just didn't know how to handle it any other way. "I don't like knowing you're mad at all when you're gonna be... touching me. It's- I know you won't hurt me, but I still just get... Bleh. I don't want to feel bleh; I want attention."

"I know, baby. It's okay. We can get some lotion or something if you want to help the bruises?" 

"How will lotion help?" 

"There's like a salve someone makes that helps soothe the skin and has some vitamins and stuff that should speed up healing." 

"Oh. That doesn't sound so bad. Would you put it on my back?" 

Keith smiled, setting him down on the bed. "Of course I will."

Lance returned the smile, gazing up at him. "Then you could get my stomach."

"Oh, I definitely will," Keith promised, smirking. He knelt up onto the foot of the bed, reaching down to lift and scoot Lance up into the center. "I'll rub lotion anywhere you want." 

Lance giggled, settling amongst the pillows. His heart sped up a little with Keith above him, but he liked it. He reached down to fuss with the ends of Keith's shirt. "I think you just want to touch me everywhere."

Keith's smirk widened as he sat back on his heels. "You're definitely right." 

Lance's smile softened, cheeks pink. "You should."

"I will, baby. I absolutely will. How about you take my shirt off first?" 

Lance sat up eagerly, a little excited to be the one to take it off. He liked feeling Keith's skin under his fingers as he lifted the fabric up and away, biting his lip as he traced the paw print on his chest. And then he gave in, leaning down and kissing it. "Qué rico. Eres muy guapo."

Keith smiled, shivering slightly under his lips and fingers. "What's that mean?" 

"Mm. The first part makes more sense in Spanish, but it kinda means you're hot. And the second is that you're really handsome. I like looking at you. And I like... I like that I get to touch you. And learn from you."

"Mmhm, me too. I'm glad that _I'm_ the one you get to learn it from." 

Lance smiled, stroking down to Keith's abs. He hesitated, playing with the edge of his jeans before he undid the button. His bravery ended there, hands skipping back up to lay on Keith's pecs. "S-so teach me."

Smiling, Keith reached down and unzipped his jeans before pushing them down his hips. He stood to remove them completely and returned to the bed, lifting Lance up and swapping their positions so Lance was straddling his legs. "I can guide you, baby, but go ahead and explore." 

Lance looked down at him, biting his lip as he tried to think of what to do first, then followed instinct. He reached out, stroking Keith's shoulders and down his arm, squeezing a bicep with a pleased little sound. "I like how strong you are. It makes me feel safe, but also... Also like you could keep me in bed, steeped in pleasure." Whatever that ended up meaning for him, still uncertain about his own likes and dislikes. 

"Mmhm, I could. We'll do that one day, just spend an entire day in bed. I'll make you feel so good." 

Lance nodded, fingers flicking over Keith's nipples. When he had a chance to take his time, he liked rubbing his own, so gently used the pads of his thumbs to work Keith's into hard nubs. "C-can I... use my mouth?"

Keith whined softly. "Y-yeah, go for it." 

Lance bit his lip, though his lips curved. "You like that too?" he wondered, settling himself down to first kiss the paw print tattoo again and then let his lips wander to Keith's nipple, tongue flicking testingly over it. 

"Fuck…" he breathed, hands fisting in the comforter. "Yeah, I like that too. I like _this_." 

It emboldened him, Lance closing his lips around the bud to suck and lick, teeth grazing only once, gaze flicking up to watch Keith's reaction. The pleasured sounds were music to his ears, new and exciting. He kissed across his chest to give its twin the same treatment while his hands slid down Keith's sides in hesitant caresses. "¿Soy tu chico bueno?" 

"A-all I caught was 'good boy,'" Keith admitted, breathless already from just the simple touches. "But you are. My good boy, Lance, you're doing so good." 

"Soy tu chico bueno," he repeated, more certain this time. "'I'm your good boy.'" Lance shifted up a little, nibbling on Keith's shoulder. "What else should I do?" 

"Anything you want, baby. But if you're feeling brave, you can take my boxers off." 

Lance hummed. He could be brave. With some help. "Can I kiss you first?" 

Keith smiled, wrapping his arms around Lance's shoulders and drawing him down. "Yes."

Lance sank into the kiss with a sigh. This was getting easier. He licked his way into Keith's mouth, tongues tangling in a dance he was getting comfortable with. It still made his heart skip and his mind fog a little, but that was just what he needed. He lifted up to his knees, lips trailing down Keith's neck while his hands slipped beneath Keith's boxers to start sliding them down his thighs. He sat back, biting his lip as Keith's length was revealed. He wanted to touch it with more than his mouth this time. As hot as it was to have him beneath him, it was probably a little unfair that he'd been mostly dressed both times while Keith kept putting himself on display like this. Lance shimmied back to drag Keith's boxers all the way off, and crawled back up, fingers trailing up Keith's legs until he could straddle his thighs again. "I like having you under me like this. You look smug and pretty with your hair over the pillow."

"Mm, and you look like you belong on top of me like this." Keith cupped Lance's hips, slowly rolling his hips. "I could get used to it." 

Lance bit his lip, squirming a little in jeans that were growing increasingly uncomfortable. "Are there- Are there things we can do with me l-like this?" 

"Of course. You could just rub against me until we both get off, or you could touch me, suck me off… When we get to it, you could ride me too." 

Lance reached down, watching Keith as he unbuttoned and unzipped his own jeans. Most of that was self-explanatory, but, "Ride you?" 

Keith grinned, squeezing his hips. "You'd be bottoming from on top with my dick inside you."

Lance nodded, color rising. "That... That sounds r-really hot." It would probably kill his knee, but he'd go as long as he could. He'd be good for Keith. "Do you like it that way?" 

"Sometimes. It's nice to be able to lay back and watch, but I do like being in control most of the time. It just depends on what's comfortable for you." 

Lance bit his lip. He wanted Keith in control. He liked being surrounded by him, held close to someone who cared about him and knew exactly what to do with his body. But this was nice. He looked good on his back and Lance liked his hands on his waist, using them as guidance and support. "Both. I think I like both. My knee's not used to this, so I don’t know how long I can stay. But it's good and so was yesterday."

"Okay. Just let me know if it starts hurting and we'll switch, okay, baby? I don't want you to hurt." 

"I will." Lance sank down, rocking his hips to grind down against him, biting his lip as arousal rolled through him. "B-but it's... It's good right now."

Keith groaned, closing his eyes briefly against the sensation until he forced them back open to watch Lance. "G-good," he murmured, smiling up at him. "God, you do look good up there." 

"Yeah?" Smiling, Lance rolled his hips. "You... You should see more."

"I want to. Why don't you go ahead and strip for me?" 

That made nerves flutter, but there wasn't any pressure in the words or in his eyes. Just encouragement, promises he was so ready to have fulfilled. So he lifted up to start pushing his jeans down. "I like watching you when you're looking at me. Do you know what you're gonna pick out for me on your birthday?" 

"Mm… I think so. How do you feel about panties?" 

Lance hummed, slipping off him to climb out of bed and push his jeans down. "I don't know. I'd try them."

"Yeah?" Keith bit his lip as he watched him. "I'll have to get you a nice pair." 

He didn't understand. He'd been forced to do enough laundry for Marcia that panties didn't seem any different from men's underwear. They were kinda... boring. But he'd wear what Keith wanted. "Are there... different kinds?" 

"Mmhm. There are different cuts and materials. It's not all cotton granny panties," he joked, chuckling. 

Lance blushed, plucking at the waistband of his boxers. "Yeah?" 

"Yeah. There's satin and silk and lace… Cheeky panties, boy shorts, thongs. I'm just not sure what I'd want to see you in first." 

Lance smiled. "I guess something that's easy to rip."

"Mm, we'll see if I do end up ripping them. I might not and have you wear them for me again." 

Lance stepped closer to the edge of the bed, wanting to be in Keith's reach. It was safe there, but exciting. "Maybe you should just buy me more than one pair."

Keith smirked, reaching out to cup a hip. "I definitely will. I just need to figure out your size." 

"Maybe while we're shopping today, you can find me a test pair." Lance inched his boxers down, watching Keith's gaze fall. "And I'll wear them while you rub lotion on me."

"Hmm… I'd love that." 

"What else would you love? What do you want right now?" Lance left his boxers barely clinging to his hips to reach out and twirl a lock of Keith's hair around his finger. "Because I'd really love you to teach me something."

"We can grind against each other. Either you on top or me, but basically we rub our dicks together until we both come." 

Lance didn't trust himself to control the pace, so started to ask him to be on top, but his phone went off. He jumped a little, automatically stooping down to grab it out of his pocket. It was too much of a habit, panic skittering over his skin because, no, he didn't want to talk to his adoptive parents and they were the only ones who would be calling him. "Keith, what do I... Oh. It's _her_."

"...Marcia?" Keith asked, pushing himself up onto his elbows. He couldn't even think of who else would be calling Lance. 

"No, the girl I'm supposed to go on a date with." Lance started to hit the decline, but he bit his lip and answered instead, climbing back into bed with Keith and a small, wicked smile. "Hi," he greeted, then held the phone away when her gusty sigh filled his ear. While she ranted about him not calling her, he laid a finger over Keith's lips to make him stay quiet. "I know. I'm sorry. I..."

She steamrolled him again, ranting that she expected better from someone in his station. Lance had to bite back a giggle, nuzzling into Keith's neck to muffle himself. "I know, Brittany. I'm sorry. I can- I can make it up to you in person. Saturday night." He rolled atop Keith, folding his arms across his chest and rubbing their noses together, seeing the question in his raised brows. "There's a nice place near campus if you want to make the drive. Otherwise M... my parents will just hover over us all night. Yeah. It'll be great. I'll make reservations for eight and text you the address? Yeah. My treat. Uh-huh." He listened to her niceties for a few more seconds, could hear Marcia's voice in the background. He had a week to get some things together and prepare himself to deal with Marcia and Henry's wrath, but he'd be okay. 

The boost of confidence had him smiling when he said his goodbyes and hung up. It was one of the wickedest things he could ever remember doing, but she deserved to have her time wasted. "I wonder how many nasty messages she'll leave for me Saturday night while I'm in bed with you. Think she'll still be interested?" 

Keith laughed, lifting his head to kiss him quickly. "Definitely not. I think maybe you should answer the phone, though. Let her get a taste of what you're doing that night instead." 

Lance giggled, settling atop him and nipping his neck. His knees slipped to either side of him, hips rolling to subtly grind their groins together. He was still in his boxers, but he wanted Keith to take care of them now. Excitement and victory were running through him and he wanted to see if there could be some fun in sex. "You can answer. I'm probably not gonna be very coherent."

"T-that's what I'm planning on." Smirking, Keith reached down to palm Lance's cock through the fabric of his boxers, feeling him harden steadily as they slowly moved together. It was so basic, almost juvenile, but Keith knew that this was exactly what Lance needed first. "I want you moaning my name." 

Lance closed his eyes, rutting into his hand. "You should- You should roll us over a-and I can practice."

Keith didn't need to be told twice, letting Lance rub against him a few seconds more before grasping his hips and flipping their positions. He hovered above him, smirking wickedly. "You're not gonna need practice, baby. I'm gonna make you feel _that_ good." 

Lance stared up at him, biting his lip and lifting his legs to wrap around his waist. "What if I want to practice?" 

"Hmm, then I guess we should practice every night." 

Lance blushed, deciding not to mention that he had homework he'd have to do eventually. It was clearly just a joke, so he grinned. "But it's just the afternoon."

"Meaning we'll have plenty of time later to do this again," Keith countered, pressing sucking kisses along his jaw. 

Lance tipped his head to grant more access, letting out a pleased sound low in his throat. "Mmhm. L-lots of time." A hand slipped between them, fingers brushing over Keith's shaft. "I like when you're in charge."

"Yeah?" Working his way down, Keith sucked a small hickey on the underside of Lance's jaw, tiny enough that it would fade before the day was up. When Lance healed, he'd leave more that would last longer. "I like it too. I like that you trust me enough to let me be in charge." 

"Mmhm. You care about me. You don't want to hurt me." Lance was sure of that, letting his legs fall so Keith could move freely. His hands slid up Keith's back, feeling the warm skin beneath his fingers. It felt so incredible just to trust him. "Te deseo. 'I want you.'"

Keith smiled. "That's good, 'cause I want you too." His fingers brushed over Lance's nipples over the fabric of his shirt, but he made no move to take it off, instead reaching down to push his boxers down his thighs. "Do you want us to get off together or do you want me to use my mouth on you?" 

"O-oh." What a choice. He wanted both, but they had later too. Keith would be giving him plenty of attention then and he didn't really want him to go far. "Together? Together this time."

Keith kissed right in the center of his chest before moving back up to kiss his lips. "Okay, baby. I'm gonna touch you now, is that alright?" 

Lance nodded a little, more rubbing his brow against Keith's. As he'd said before, he wanted attention. He wanted those pretty eyes on him and those clever hands drawing out those promised moans. "Mmhm. T-toca me. 'Touch me.'"

Grinning, Keith didn't tease him further, wrapping his fingers around Lance's length to begin stroking slowly. "Mm, you're so good for me, baby. You're already so hard."

"Oh..." It felt so good, the words shivering through him. "Soy tu ch-chico bueno. Keith," he moaned, trying to move his hips with his hand. 

Keith grinded against him, slow and steady for a few moments before he wrapped his hand around both of their shafts. He groaned at the bare contact, dropping his brow to Lance's shoulder. "Fuck… This feels so good."

Yeah, it did. Pleasure seemed to shoot up Lance's spine, making his back arch and his legs lift again. They found a secure home around Keith's waist, hips bucking up helplessly. " _Hng_... K-Keith!" 

"Mmhm… K-keep moving, just like that, baby." Keith hooked a hand underneath his ass, encouraging his hips. "You're so fucking gorgeous." 

Lance whined under him, letting himself make sounds for Keith. He wasn't used to it, but he found he liked it. It was easy to let go, to share his pleasure while it sang through his veins. He could trust him enough for it. "I want- It's so- K-Keith-!" 

Keith squeezed around their cocks, panting into Lance's shirt, teeth pulling at the fabric. "Uh-huh. Your sounds are so beautiful, Lance. I love listening to you."

Lance's fingers delved into Keith's hair, tugging, wanting him higher. "I- _Haa..._ Eres perfecto, mi cielo. Bésame. 'Kiss me.'"

It took him a moment to get there, pressing kisses to Lance's neck and jaw on his way up, but finally covered Lance's lips with his own. It was immediately deep, Keith licking into his mouth as their hips continued to grind and his hand kept up its steady pressure. 

Lance whimpered into the kiss, sounds low in his throat as he bucked his hips and let Keith's hands guide him. It was a lot of new sensation, a lot of new pressure that dragged him so close so fast. His warning was muffled, but his fingers tugged more insistently at Keith's hair and his hips moved out of rhythm. He wanted to wait, but didn't know how to hold it back. 

Keith didn't want him to, groaning into his mouth as the tugging became constant against his scalp. He broke the kiss but stayed close enough that their lips brushed together as he spoke. "That's it, baby. Come for me. Be a good boy and come for me and I'll come for you." 

Lance didn't fight it, couldn't. His body arched, heels digging into Keith's back as he cried out. Keith's name filled the room as his release spilled over them, his hips jerking and his eyes closing tight. 

Lance looked amazing under him as he fell apart, Keith's hand working him through it before shifting to his own cock to finish himself off. He felt like a teenager again coming so fast, but there was just something about Lance that made everything feel infinitely more pleasurable. Lance's name left his lips on a groan before they covered Lance's again for a dirty kiss, his release shooting out in ropes over Lance's abdomen. 

Lance gasped into the kiss, grasping Keith's shoulders. He was still coming down from the high of release, hadn't expected Keith to follow so soon. But he was glad, liked hearing him, and was surprised to be a little annoyed at himself for keeping the shirt on. He wanted to really feel him, get all that warm skin pressed against his. The thought had him blushing when the kiss broke, so he hid his face in Keith's neck and stroked his hair softly. "E-eres perfecto."

Keith smiled, pressing kisses to Lance's hair. "You alright there, baby?" 

"M-maybe." He was so okay, so content and close. "I don't... I don't have enough shirts to let them get this messy."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll make sure you have a full wardrobe." 

Lance didn't tell him he didn't have to. It was already understood and Keith, it seemed, gave affection with gifts. Lance wasn't going to tell him no. He smiled against his neck, lips brushing over his skin as soft and sweet as can be. "I'd really like that."

"Good. I like giving you things because I know you appreciate them." 

"Almost as much as I just appreciate you." Lance laid his head back against the pillow to smile up at him. "Is there a way to stop, um... coming fast?" 

"You gotta build up your stamina, baby." Keith smirked, kissing him quickly. "Just means we have to have a lot more sex." 

Lance giggled, tracing the paw print in his chest. "Okay. Later, definitely. I want... I don't want to be mostly dressed next time."

"Yeah?" Smiling softly, Keith carded his clean hand through Lance's hair. "You wanna take your shirt off?" 

"Mmhm. And then... Can I stay over again? I have a test in the morning, so I really have to go to class, but... I'd like to- I want to stay with you. Please."

"Of course you can stay, baby. I'd feel safer with you here than at the dorms, anyway. And I'll help you study tonight if you want." 

"No it's just history and it's multiple choice. I'll be okay." Lance reached up, comfortable enough to play with Keith's hair without hesitation. "I need to tell Hunk. Um. And probably tomorrow, I'll tell my RA I don't want my parents there. He's allowed to kick them out and everything. And I'm gonna change all my school account passwords Sunday morning. They're gonna show up."

"Yeah, I know." Keith sighed. "But I'll keep you safe. So will Hunk, you know."

"I know." Lance cupped his cheek, love in his gaze yet again. "You guys are the best."

Keith smiled, his feelings mirrored in his own gaze. "Mmhm, because we care about you." 

He cared about them too, but in very different ways. They'd done different things for him and, if not for Hunk's encouraging friendship, he may not have had the confidence to even accept when Keith asked him out. And then he wouldn't have this freedom or this love. Both were gifts he'd cherish forever. "I know that too. I'm pretty smart sometimes."

"Mm, I'd say you're very smart all of the time." 

"Because you're sweet."

Keith smiled, kissing him again before rolling off to the side. He stayed close, turning to wrap an arm around Lance's waist to drag him even closer. "D'you wanna do lunch out somewhere before we go shopping?" 

"Mmhm. I think we both worked up an appetite." Lance snuggled close, happy and so in love. No one had ever gone to the lengths Keith was going to for him and Lance would forever be grateful for it. "We should get some groceries too. Easy dinner since I have a feeling we'll work up an appetite then too."

Keith laughed, burying his face in Lance's neck. "We definitely will. We'll get something I can make quickly." 

Giggling, Lance tipped his head to give him more room. He really liked being in love and he really liked all the affectionate attention Keith was willing to give him. "'Kay. You'll have to teach me so I can cook for you sometimes."

"Mmhm, " he agreed, trailing kisses over the top of his collarbone. "I'm sure Hunk wouldn't mind giving you some lessons too."

Lance didn't doubt it, smiling as he soaked in every kiss. It had been a life changing morning for him, but college had been nothing but monumental for him so far. It was nice being an adult. It was great being an adult with people who were willing to help him when he needed it most. They were family in a way Marcia and Henry never had been, and he was excited to see what would come next. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fairly short chapter, but cute and fluffy and also very important <3

Lance didn't quite know how it happened, but by Friday half of Keith's closet had clothes just for him and there were drawers just for him in Keith's dresser. His family's keepsakes were in shadow boxes down the hall and a safe with his paperwork and mother's jewelry was hidden behind two new dresses. It was the dresses that caught his eye, Lance gasping as he ran his fingers over the soft fabric. He pulled the rich blue sweater dress off the hanger and scampered to the mirror Keith had gotten him. It hung on the back of the bedroom door, his eyes wide and happy when he held the garment up to himself. 

He honestly didn't know how Keith found the time to get him so many presents, but he loved every single one. He could only hope Keith liked his birthday present just as much. It was one of the few things he had left in the dorm, his half steadily being emptied with him none the wiser. Not that he would've minded had he realized what his best friend and boyfriend were doing. He loved falling asleep with Keith and he loved waking up beside him. He loved the way Keith touched him at night, be it soft hands and sweet promises or fast hands and loud groans. He was learning a lot and was excited to finally let Keith have him all the way. 

He smiled at him, finding his reflection in the glass. In the light, the blue dress had some shine in it. Golden thread shimmered, adding some pizzazz to the soft fabric. "I love this. It looks like a party kind of dress."

"Mm, it _is_ a party kind of dress," Keith confirmed, kissing the back of his neck with a smile. "We are having a party, after all." 

Lance leaned back into him, watching and feeling those secure arms wrap around him. It made him a little nervous, the idea of wearing a dress in front of Keith's _parents_ , but his boyfriend wouldn't put him in a bad place. And who would know his parents better? Lance's smile brightened. "You just want easy access," he teased. 

Keith chuckled. "I'll admit, that is an advantage." 

"I knew it, but that's not allowed when your parents get here. Or when anybody gets here," he amended, very aware of how quickly Keith's hands could wander now that he had permission to touch. 

"I know, baby. I wouldn't embarrass you like that."

"I'm just saying." Not that he minded having Keith's hands on him. "I want to try this on."

"Okay. You want me to step out?" 

"That depends on whether or not you'll actually let me change. You have very busy hands."

"Well, that's because you're so beautiful." Keith kissed his neck again before letting him go and sitting on the bed. "But I'll behave and sit here." 

"Thank you." There was still some shyness, though he'd had Keith's eyes on him more than once now. It helped that the bruises had faded, making it easier to enjoy the way Keith's eyes wandered over his skin when he took off his shirt and slid his jeans down. He pulled the dress on, smiling when the sleeves fell over his hands. He turned to adjust the neckline a little, letting it slip down a shoulder since Keith seemed to like that, and he fluffed out the hemline so it played around his thighs. It was cute, a little flirty, and radiated warm comfort. 

But there was a distracting weight on one side. He reached for it, missing Keith's grin as he found pockets and something in one. He pulled out a phone, confused by it for a moment. It looked like Keith's, but the case was different. He traced a fingertip along a shiny section, the case designed to look like blue marble. It was gorgeous, but his questioning look turned to delight when he looked up. "Oh! Is- This is mine?" 

Keith's smile widened as he nodded. "Mmhm. You needed a new one." 

One not loaded with tracking software, but that didn't need to be said. Lance switched it on, bouncing in place as the screen lit up. "You're gonna have to teach me how to use this. It's way too fancy."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You'll be a pro in no time." 

Lance smiled, happily bouncing over to Keith. He stepped into the vee of his legs, arms draping over his shoulders. He leaned down to kiss him. "Thank you, mi cielo. You always pick out the nicest things for me."

"You totally deserve it, baby." Keith wrapped his arms around his waist, smiling up at him. "I'd give you the world if I could." 

"I have you. That's world enough for me."

Keith's smile softened as he leaned up to kiss him. "You're too sweet." 

Lance giggled, rubbing their noses together fondly. "I give what I get."

"Uh-huh." With no warning, Keith fell back against the bed, taking Lance with him so he was sprawled on top. "This is nice." 

Lance wiggled until he could prop himself up, arms folded across his chest with his new phone set aside. "It's really nice," he agreed, grinning down at him. "Are you excited for your birthday?" 

"I'm excited for this birthday, yeah. I haven't really been excited for a birthday in a long while, but now I've got you to spend it with." 

Lance always got excited for birthdays, always hoping for just one great day. It hadn't happened, but the hope was still there. "I'm excited. It's a whole day just for you." Lance shifted, resting his cheek on Keith's shoulder and letting his eyes close. He loved cuddling with him. "And I've never been to a birthday party for someone I really care about before."

"Yeah? Well, it's not gonna be much of a 'party,' but it'll be fun." 

Lance smiled, plucking at Keith's shirt. "Well... Pidge invited her brother and your cousin. I'm not supposed to tell you, though, 'cause Pidge said you'd get annoyed by a real party."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Leave it to her… If it's just Matt and Shiro, though, I'm okay with that." 

"Okay, good. Don't tell her I told." He was pretty sure she hadn't invited more people because of him more than Keith anyway. Just adding two - one of them being yet another part of Keith's family - had made him reach for his inhaler. Once he'd calmed down, conversation had segued to food and there'd been no further mention of extra guests. He felt a little bad for it, but it would be hard enough meeting two new people in a dress. "We're going to have food and games and music. Hunk's baking you a cake, but I'm not spoiling the flavor. And it's going to be a lot of fun."

"Mm, I don't doubt that. All of my favorite people are gonna be here."

"Mmhm. I promise I won't embarrass you." Lance slipped off his glasses so he could nuzzle into Keith's neck. "At least I'll try."

"You're not gonna embarrass me, baby," Keith murmured, carding fingers through his hair. "Nothing you do could embarrass me." 

"I hope not. I want you to have a great day because we get to celebrate that you're here. All day. And I'm so glad you're here."

Keith smiled to himself, turning his head to kiss Lance's temple. "I'm really glad you get to be here with me." 

"Me too. I cried on my birthday," he admitted quietly, "because I had to come here instead of my first choice. If I'd known I'd find you and Hunk and Pidge, it would've been a much happier day."

"Yeah… Well, I'm sorry you had a bad one this year. I'll just have to make it up to you next year. Maybe a trip somewhere, all summer abroad?" 

"Really? Could we... Do you think we can maybe visit Cuba?" 

"We can go anywhere you want, I promise."

Lance shifted up to lay their brows together, bright gaze meeting Keith's. "Cuba. Please. I want to see where my family's from. I've always wanted to go." 

"Then we're definitely going to Cuba." Keith smiled, kissing the tip of his nose. "Where else?" 

"Oh. Um. I don't know. I've never had a choice before."

"Well we've got plenty of time to think about it. I'm sure we'll come up with something." 

"Mmhm. Maybe Korea? We can visit both of our places."

Keith grinned. "I'd really like that. So then we just plan the in between."

It sounded exciting, like an adventure for just the two of them. He never would've imagined being able to plan a vacation just a few months earlier. "Have you traveled a lot?" 

"Not a _lot_. I've only been out of the country three times, and it's only been during the summer. But I do love to travel, so I'd like to go more places and take you with me." 

"I'd like that too." Lance kissed him, so much more confident than he'd been at the beginning. "I'll need a passport and stuff, so I'll look into that soon. I have a fancy new phone to do research on."

Keith smiled, rubbing their noses together. "Yeah, you do. And you can do anything you want on it." 

Nodding, Lance slipped over to snuggle into Keith's side and picked up the phone again. "I want- Will you take our picture? I want it to be my background."

"That's so cute. Of course I will." 

Lance smiled, passing over his phone and watching Keith navigate very easily to the camera. "You already set it up for me?" 

"Mmhm. I didn't want you to have to worry about it." 

"You just didn't want to watch me struggle for an hour." Lance kissed his cheek, not noticing the camera click. "Thank you. I really love it. I'll get to text you whenever I want now."

"Yup. And I'll get to text you dirty things if I want," Keith teased, though he was smiling softly at the picture he'd taken. 

Lance giggled, blushing as he hid against Keith's shoulder. "I'd be okay with that."

"Good, 'cause it'll probably happen more than once." 

"Well, don't turn me on in class. That's not fair."

Keith chuckled as he slipped the phone back into Lance's hand. "No promises." 

"You really are a bad boy," he teased, but his heart melted when he saw the picture. He had to hold the phone close to his nose to see the detail, but smiled brightly. "Oh, this is perfect. I love it, Keith. I'm gonna take as many pictures of us as I can."

"I'd be okay with that." Smiling, Keith gently pushed his phone down and kissed his cheek.

Lance turned his head, their lips brushing. "Good. I want you to like them. But tell me if I'm ever annoying. I've never been able to take pictures of whatever I want before."

"You won't be annoying, baby. I want you to do what you want to do, not what someone else wants you to. You're your own person, especially now. You deserve to have your own life." 

"That doesn't mean I can bother other people, mi cielo. Especially not you."

Keith shook his head. "You're not bothering me, sweetheart. I promise." 

"If I do, promise you'll tell me. That's all I'm asking, Keith."

He nodded. "Okay, baby. _If_ you do ever bother me, I'll tell you. The same goes for you too." 

"Okay. If." Lance reached for his glasses, pushing them back on so he could make the sweet picture his phone background. He had some small experience with phones. His other was a smartphone too, after all, just a different model. Old, cheap, and slow. All it had to do was make calls and be traceable. This one was different and he gasped when he saw his favorite music program was there. He loaded it up, but it was a little different. "Wait... This isn't my old account." Another thing Marcia and Henry could track was gone, Lance's eyes watering a little. It was another stunning display of his freedom. "Oh, Keith... You're so nice to me."

Keith cupped his cheek, smiling softly. "You definitely deserve it. I don't want you to feel trapped, and that means getting rid of all the old shit." 

Lance rubbed against his palm, aching with how much he loved his boyfriend. "Thank you. All of this is exactly why you should get tomorrow. It's gonna be all about you."

"Mm. I'm just really excited for you to meet my family. They're gonna love you, and you'll love them." 

"You think so?" 

"Yeah, I do. There's nothing to _not_ like about you, Lance." 

He'd spent most of his life being treated as though that was very untrue. But it was easier to believe it when Keith was looking at him like that. "Thank you, Keith. I know I'll like them because they made you."

But they weren't his first hurdle the next day. Around two in the afternoon, he greeted Hunk and Pidge at the door wearing the blue sweater dress and mentally prepared to be teased for it. 

Hunk just cocked his head to the side. "Is that a dress or...?"

"Y-yeah. Keith got it for me."

"Hopefully he's got an apron for you so you don't ruin it in the kitchen. You're kind of a mess." 

Beaming, Lance took a bowl from Hunk's overburdened arms. "I don't know. I'll ask him. Hi, Pidge."

"Hey. You look good," she commented, giving him a once-over. "Blue's not really my color, but that dress looks comfy." 

Lance swayed a little, biting his lip and nodding. "I-it really is. And you look good in green and I really don't." He stepped back when he heard the back door open, letting them in. "Come in before Kosmo runs in and demands all your attention."

"She's allowed," Pidge countered, stepping past Lance. "Everyone's not here yet anyway. I can give her some attention before they all show up." 

Hunk chuckled. "Is anyone here yet? It seems early."

"Mm-mm." Lance kicked the door shut when Hunk walked by, then led the way to the kitchen with a bounce in his step. "There's plenty of time to setup still. Are we still gonna make spinach and artichoke dip?" 

"Yeah. I made some lactose-free mozzarella and Pidge and I picked up some chips. I found gluten-free pretzel sticks for you too."

Lance gasped, hugging the bag when it was handed over. "Thank you! Keith!" he called. "They got me pretzels!" 

He popped around from the living room, smiling. "That's awesome, baby. What are they for, exactly?" 

"Hunk's gonna show me how to make spinach and artichoke dip. Do you have an apron? I don't want to mess up my dress."

"Mmhm, there's one in the top drawer right underneath the microwave." 

Smiling, Lance set the bag down and searched for the apron. It was, unsurprisingly, red. Lance slipped the top over his head on his way back to Keith. "Will you tie it for me?" 

Keith grinned, tying the back into a bow quickly for him and pressing a lingering kiss to the back of his neck. "There you go, sweetheart." 

Smiling, Lance turned to lift up, kissing him quick and light. "Thank you. Now go away. Play with Kosmo and Pidge."

"You can't kick me out of my own kitchen." 

"Yes, I can." Lance did his best to look stern. "It's your birthday. You're not allowed to do kitchen work."

Hunk smiled. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks, man. It's already been the best one so far." 

Sternness faded into confusion, Lance's arms wrapped around Keith's neck. "But we haven't even done anything except cuddle and play with Kosmo."

"I know, baby. But you're here, so it's already the best," he explained softly, stealing a kiss. 

"O-oh." Lance smiled, breaking away from him. "Eres dulce, mi cielo. I'm gonna help Hunk in the kitchen now. I want to be done before anyone else gets here."

"Okay, okay. I'll leave you two alone. We'll probably be outside with Kosmo, so come grab me when everyone else shows up?" 

"I will," he promised, excitedly bouncing back to Hunk now that he had an apron protecting his dress and goals in mind.

And, because Hunk knew how to navigate around someone with no clue what he was doing, they managed to set snacks on the table before the doorbell rang. Since Hunk was putting side dishes into the fridge, Lance made his way to the door and swung it open without a thought. And then he froze. The man at the door was tall and broad-shouldered and, to Lance, imposing. With a startled squeak, he slammed the door shut in his face. 

Then he realized that he'd probably just done that to Keith's cousin. Eyes widening, he reached for the doorknob again, panicked because he'd look really stupid if he opened it now, and turned to bolt to the back porch. "K-Keith? Somebody's here."

Keith glanced up from his spot in the grass, cocking his head at the stutter in Lance's voice as he got up. "Cool, are they inside?" 

"Um... No?" 

Keith paused. Whoever had shown up - either his parents or his cousin - they weren't out back and not inside, so… "What happened?" 

Lance twisted the apron, looking down as embarrassment colored his cheeks. "I... g-got scared."

Smiling softly, Keith shook his head. "It's okay. Come on, we'll go answer the door together." 

"Okay..." But he stayed safely behind Keith as they made their way to the door, hiding in the hopes that maybe they wouldn't notice him. 

A second man laughed when the door opened, this one Lance hadn't even noticed the first time. He was slimmer and his hair was fluffed and colored like Pidge's. Oh, no. He'd been an idiot in front of _both_ of them. "Hey, Keith. Phew. For a second, we thought we had the wrong place."

He chuckled, stepping aside to let them in. "Nah, this is it. Lance just got a little spooked."

"N-no, I just..." He'd been a lot spooked. Keith's cousin seemed a little less intimidating the longer he looked at him, though Lance stayed behind his boyfriend. It was only a little less, considering the scar across his face. He also only had one arm and looked young to have so much white mixed into his black hair. He was still big and weightlifting was apparently something that ran in the family because he was _built_. Keith's muscles were lean and narrow and, to Lance at least, safe. Shiro looked like he could snap him in half _casually_. "I, um, I think- I should- H-Hunk's- The kitchen."

Keith shook his head, reaching for Lance's hand and stepping to his side. He kissed the back of his hand and smiled. "I wanted you to meet my family, baby. This is my cousin, Shiro. And that's Pidge's brother, Matt." 

The door closed behind them, Lance biting his lip. Keith wouldn't let him near somebody who'd hurt him, he reminded himself. He wouldn't. And, really, Hunk was big too. But Hunk was a softer big. This was Henry big, so it was throwing him off a little. A lot. He held Keith's hand tightly, fiddling with the apron. "H-hi," he finally greeted. "I'm- I'm, um, sorry. I didn't mean to just..."

"Shut the door in our faces?" Matt teased. 

Lance's gaze fell as he shuffled just a little closer to Keith. "Mmhm."

"It's fine," Shiro assured him, sharing a look with Keith. He'd been warned of Lance's timidness via text just that morning, though this seemed more like outright fear. "Where is Pidge?" 

Keith jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Outside with Kosmo."

"Okay. We'll put your gifts on the coffee table and go say hi. It was nice to meet you, Lance."

He kept his head ducked, but his gaze lifted. There wasn't judgment in Shiro's gaze, no anger or even coldness. It was just a well of calm patience. The tension in his shoulders eased, fingers flexing in Keith's hold. "Um. Y-you too."

Once they'd gone out back, Keith turned and kissed Lance firmly. "Did you really shut the door in their faces?" he asked, amused. 

He pressed closer, pressing his brow to Keith's shoulder. "Maybe. But you didn't tell me he was a big, strong giant. I wasn't ready."

"Yeah… Sorry about that. But he's really nice and incredibly sweet. He'd never hurt a fly, I swear, but absolutely could break a person in two. It's crazy." 

It was scary. "He kind of... It's stupid. I'm stupid. Never mind."

Keith cocked his head. "You're not stupid, baby. What is it?" 

Lance plucked at his shirt, uncertain. "He kind of accidentally made me think of Henry and it... He scared me. It's not his fault. I just..."

"Oh. No, I promise he's not anything like Henry. You'll see when they come back in. He's a giant dork." Keith cupped his cheek, rubbing a thumb over his cheekbone. "And it's not stupid that you felt that way, okay? You weren't prepared, and Shiro is… well, he's huge." 

"I know. You wouldn't let him in if he was a-and you- He sounded nice. Like actual nice and not fake nice." Lance closed his eyes, tipping into the touch. "Is your dad like that too?" 

"Hmm, kind of? He's straight from Texas, though, so he's a more gruff type of big, I guess." 

"Mm... I'm gonna let you open the door when they get here."

"They might just let themselves in. My mom would, anyway." 

"O-oh." Lance bit his lip, wrapping his mind around that. He couldn't freak out if they appeared. He'd already given Shiro a horrible first impression. He couldn't keep that going. "Okay."

Keith rubbed his nose against Lance's, smiling softly. "You'll be alright, baby." 

"I hope so. Matt and Shiro probably think I'm a loser, so I don’t want your parents to feel like that too."

Keith chuckled. "No, they don't think you're a loser. They can't. And if they do, I'll fight them." 

" _Keith_. You can't fight them. That's silly."

"I can and I will," Keith teased, laughing. 

Lance smiled, looping his arms over his shoulders and lifting up to kiss his cheek. " _You're_ a loser," he teased, feeling so much better. He didn't know how Keith did it. 

"I can't be a loser, because I have you for a boyfriend." 

He was so sweet, so good to him. Lance didn't want to leave it unsaid anymore. "Mmhm. And I love you."

Keith froze, though his heart was beating hard and fast, and a small, bright smile was curving his lips. "You do?" 

It wasn't exactly how he'd planned to tell him, his own shy smile answering Keith's, but it felt right. "Y-yeah. I love you."

He had to kiss him, light and sweet and quick so he could reply, "I love you too, baby." 

"Oh, I like that. That sounds... It's really neat to hear someone actually say that to me."

It broke Keith's heart to know that Lance was referring to Henry and Marcia. He _knew_ they'd never said it to him, and that was just depressing. "Well, I'll tell you as many times as I can. I love you." 

Lance rubbed their noses together, smile bright. "Eres tan dulce. Te amo, mi cielo."

Keith smiled, kissing the tip of his nose. "Is everything in the kitchen done?" 

"Mmhm. That's why I answered the door in the first place. We've got snacks on the table and- and I think I did a good job with the dip. Hunk helped me season it, but I did most of it. And the entrees are gonna be built when it's time to eat 'cause we're doing, like, custom bowls? Bib... Bibim... Whatever they're called. Pidge suggested them because they're Korean and she said you liked them. And your cake is done because he made the layers last night and chilled them so I got to watch him frost them and I already ate a cupcake."

Keith laughed, wrapping his arms around Lance's waist and lifting him up in the air. "You guys got a lot done. Why did _you_ get to steal a cupcake before me?" 

"They're _my_ cupcakes 'cause I can't eat your cake." Lance held his shoulders, smiling down at him. "And I wanted a reward for spending all my time in the kitchen and not playing with you and Kosmo and Pidge."

"Oh, you're gonna get a reward later, don't worry." 

Lance bit his lip. "That's different. I was already getting _that_."

Keith chuckled. "Yeah, definitely. But first we get to have some fun." 

"Yeah!" Lance wrapped his legs around Keith's waist since he hadn't put him down. Behind him, the door opened. Keith was very right about his parents walking right in. "I'm excited. I know I've just been cooking, but it's been fun. Hunk taught me a couple things. Like how to cut steak. And cook steak. And boil eggs, which is surprisingly easy."

Keith smiled at his mom and dad over Lance's shoulder. "Yeah, eggs are pretty easy, even the soft boiled ones, which are what I like in my bibimpap."

"He's gonna make those too. He tried to teach me and those were not easy. That's why there are boiled eggs." Lance kissed the top of his head, playing with the ends of his hair. "But we should go outside or I should actually make sure Hunk's done with me. I don't want you to be all cooped up with me on your birthday. You should spend time with your cousin."

"And my parents," Keith added with a grin. "Hey mom, hey dad." 

Lance tensed, the door not closing quietly. Oh, no. No, no, no. He was making _horrible_ first impressions. He hid his red face in Keith's hair, listening to his parents return the greeting. 

"Happy birthday, Keith." Though his mother's eyes, so much like Keith's, were on Lance. "Are we interrupting?" 

Keith laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, it was just a hug that escalated." 

Lance listened to his father chuckle, the sound rich and warm. "That's how your mom and I ended up with you."

" _Wow_ , dad. I don't need to hear that on my birthday, god." 

"You woulda never had a birthday if it hadn't'a happened."

Lance liked his drawl, taking a quick peek at them. His dad was big in a gruff way, but his graying hair was styled in the same messy mullet as Keith's and he looked too pleased with his own joke to be intimidating. He very lightly tugged Keith's hair and whispered, "W-will you please p-put me down now?" 

"Mmhm." Keith kissed him quickly before setting him down after his legs unwound from his waist. "You wanna meet 'em for real now?" 

Lance nodded, trying and failing to hide behind his boyfriend as he was guided forward. His father stuck out his hand first, smile as warm as his laugh. "Y'all must be Lance. We've heard a thing'r two about you."

He nodded again, taking his hand. It was surprisingly firm for all his nerves, but being a lawyer would require quite a few handshakes and it was training Marcia and Henry had instilled in him. "H-hi. It's, um, it's nice to meet you."

Keith smiled, his arm winding around Lance's waist. "So this is my dad, Trevor, but everyone calls him Tex. And this is my mom, Krolia."

She glanced at him up and down before offering a small smile and her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Lance." 

"Y-you too." Lance shook her hand, taking in her features. "Keith looks so much like you."

"Hmm, yes, well, he got the better genes of the two of us, with the exception of the unfortunate hair, obviously," she teased. 

Tex chuckled. "The hair ain't bad. Y'all still married me."

Lance leaned against his boyfriend, a little worried that he hadn't made a good impression but relieved that they didn't seem to be holding it against him yet. "I'm mostly used to it and Keith likes when I play with his hair."

"It feels good," Keith confirmed, shrugging.

Krolia's smile shifted into a teasing sort of smirk. "That, too, seems to run in the family." 

Lance hadn't meant it that way, even though it was certainly true. Blush bright, he ducked and turned his head to hide it in Keith's shoulder. "O-oh."

"You're gonna break the boy, darlin'." Tex slung an arm across his wife's shoulders, winking at her. "But y'aint lying."

She rolled her eyes, making Keith laugh. "Well, if you guys wanna see Shiro, he's out back with your granddog."

Or was. The doggy door slapped open, Kosmo’s nails clicking wildly as she streaked across the floor and headed straight to Keith's parents. Tex crouched with a laugh, scratching her back with firm hands while she wiggled and licked and made grumbling, talkative sounds. "He might have to come inside."

"Well, um, the f-food's out. Hunk and I were gonna tell everybody they could come in and eat if they wanted. Dinner's whenever we want."

"Wonderful," Krolia commented. "I am very hungry." 

"Okay. Um." Lance tugged at his apron, glancing at Keith with a small smile. "I'll tell Hunk then, if you want to get everybody inside?" 

"Yeah, I'll go round everyone up." Keith stole a kiss, smiling into it. "Go ahead and take my parents to the kitchen, and we'll meet you guys there." 

Oh, he hadn't counted on that. "By myself?" he whispered. 

"Mmhm. You don't have to be nervous, okay? The hard part is over. They like you already." 

Until he messed it up. He bit his lip, but gave in. He wouldn't be a pain on Keith's birthday. He could do this. Hunk was in the kitchen anyway so he wouldn't be alone for long. "Okay. I love you."

Keith beamed. "I love you too. Now don't let Kosmo trip you guys up. She's excited." 

"She's allowed to be excited." Though Lance was a little sad that he couldn't get her attention. She was theirs, so it wasn't surprising. It still made him feel a little out of place. 

That feeling lasted through dinner, growing into something painfully familiar. It was just like Marcia and Henry's get-togethers. He'd never felt like he belonged. He gathered dishes as bowls emptied and compliments went out to Hunk for doing a great job. He had done a good job, but Lance's stomach had started to churn uncomfortably so he hadn't eaten much. He didn't see Keith's concerned look follow him into the kitchen, too wrapped up in himself and trying not to be. 

Dishes were rinsed and placed in the dishwasher, the sounds of a party going on in the background. Someone turned on music as Lance made his way to the entryway, filling in the few gaps of conversation. Lance couldn't make it out, though, his brain feeling muffled and his ears buzzing with white noise. He knew this feeling too well and hated that it was there at Keith's birthday. At least three people cared about him here and he knew it, so it shouldn't be a problem. He just needed a hug, some small bit of attention to bring him back down, but everyone was busy. Pidge and Hunk talked to Matt by the stereo, Shiro and Keith's parents had Keith's attention, and Lance still couldn't get Kosmo’s. 

He just needed _something_. A small reminder that he actually existed to someone. But he was too scared to interrupt, especially when his phone buzzed. His old phone. 

Fingers trembling, he quickly sped into Keith's room and answered it once he was tucked in the muffled safety of Keith's closet. "H-hello, mother."

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance in dresses <3  
> Also, Keith's parents


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved reading all the comments about people threatening to throw hands. That's how we'd felt about Marcia while we were writing this.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Where are you?" 

She didn't even say hi back. Lance closed his eyes, tipping his head back to rest it against the closet wall. He was seated beneath the clothes, his dress pulled over the knees he had drawn up to his chest. It was the closest he could get to a hug without bothering anyone. "I'm in my dorm."

"Are you alone? Is the curtain drawn properly?" 

Hunk had removed the curtain and they'd filled the holes in the ceiling. "Yes. T-to both." 

"Excellent. Now why haven't you called me to discuss this _date_?" 

Because he wasn't going to go. "I..."

"Honestly, if you think you have the proper social skills to woo a lady of her standing by yourself, you're more ignorant than even I'd feared. Asking her to dine near the college is _ridiculous_. No college town has reputable eateries. They're all filled with drunken children."

He let her continue to rant while fat, silent tears rolled down his cheeks. She called him the names he was used to hearing - lazy, irresponsible, ignorant, foolish, unkempt, and just plain ugly. He listened to the lies he was expected to tell, especially since Brittany had also been told he went to Yale but was taking a few classes at this campus too. It didn't make sense to him and probably didn't make sense to anyone, but who would question Marcia? 

When it was Henry's turn on the phone, trembling joined the tears. When he had to puff on his inhaler, threats whispered into the receiver, Lance could _hear_ Henry's malicious smile. Maybe they hadn't been born abusers and maybe they wouldn't have done this had Lance been the little white kid they'd expected, but they'd both grown to love his torment over the years. These people who were supposed to protect him and love him. They'd picked him and that was supposed to be _special_. But it wasn't and hearing them talk only made it hurt. 

Eventually, he was dismissed and able to hang up. He had instructions on how to dress, what topics to discuss, what to order, and to call as soon as the evening was over to discuss results. They all still rang in his ear when the phone buzzed again. Brittany, this time. Like a tag-team, he thought, listening to her tell him that she would be selecting the location for all future outings. He had bad taste, wasteful opinions, and she didn't even know how Lance had gotten into Yale when he was clearly so stupid. 

The small jabs hurt, growing until a soft sob bubbled out and then he was labeled as pathetic and unmanly and no one would ever want to be with him if he cried so easily. And then, finally, she ended the call. He dropped the phone, brow falling to his knees, and the sobs broke through hard. Though he hated it and it hurt, part of him believed their hate. It was too ingrained in him to be easily dismissed, especially when he was already feeling alone. 

Out in the living room, Keith was looking for his boyfriend. He wanted to have him be a part of the party, to join the conversations that were going on, but he was nowhere to be found. The kitchen was empty, and Keith was starting to get worried. Lance could have just been in the bathroom, but Keith didn't want to chance it, so went looking for him in the only place he could think of. 

And as soon as he walked into his room and shut the door, he had his answer. He could hear the sobbing coming from the direction of the closet and had the doors open in the next moment, on his knees before he could even think about the way he'd landed on them hurt. "Lance… Baby, what's wrong?" he asked softly, drawing him into his arms. 

The hug was grounding, the arms around him firm and soothing. He just felt bad that he was crying on Keith on his birthday. "They- They c-called me a-and- They c-called me."

"Who-" But as soon as he started, Keith knew the answer. "Why did you pick it up, sweetheart? What the _hell_ did they say to you?" 

Everything they always did. "I- They w-would've kept c-calling and m-maybe come to f-find me and I d-didn't- Y-you were busy a-and I didn't w-want to bother y-you. I'm sorry. I d-don't want to cry on your b-birthday. I'm sorry."

"No, baby, it's okay, I promise." Keith dragged him into his lap, a hand going into Lance's hair to massage his scalp while the other rubbed up and down his back. "It's okay. I love you. You can cry if you need to." 

He did need to, harsh sobs slowing to soft sniffles until he was finally all cried out. He closed his eyes as he quieted and relaxed, wrapped up in Keith's lap. "I love you. I really am sorry, though."

"Mm-mm. Please don't be. You're fine, baby, and I'm here for you." 

"It's not very fair. I just... You were talking to people a-and you see me every day, so... I- I thought I should j-just leave you alone and then m-my phone went off and..."

Keith cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly. "It's alright. But I don't want you to leave me alone, baby. I want you out there with me, by my side. I want you to be with my family and our friends." 

"I... I don't know how? When Marcia and Henry have a get-together, I have to stay where I'm put and go where I'm told."

"Well, you don't have to do that here. I don't want you to feel trapped. Plus, you know Hunk and Pidge. Talk to them until you feel brave enough to come talk to my parents." 

"Well... They were talking to Matt. I didn't want to interrupt." Lance shrugged, lifting a hand to cover Keith's. "I thought about it. I just... I couldn't get anybody's attention. I couldn't even get Kosmo’s. So I just felt really... My chest got tight and I felt... Alone again. I know I'm not and I know it's dumb, but..."

"Mm, no, I get it. You're not used to being with so many people like this." People who actually cared, he left unsaid. "But just… I don't know, walk over. You don't have to just start talking. Sit and observe a little first. And trust me, with this group, you won't be interrupting anyone."

"Okay." Lance kissed his palm, feeling guilty for keeping Keith away from everyone. "I should... I should wash my face and go back out. I don't think they're gonna call again until I skip the date."

Keith chuckled softly. "Yeah, and we're gonna give them an earful when they do, huh?" 

Lance bit his lip, nodding. "I'll have to remind Hunk they'll probably show up today or tomorrow."

"Mmhm. But we'll be able to handle them."

"They don't know where you live, so..."

"No, and they never will. They'll never get you back." 

Lance nodded, leaning forward to seal their lips together. Soft and sweet and seeking the comfort that was always so readily given. When it broke, he smiled and climbed out of Keith's lap. "Soy tuyo. I'm gonna go wash my face."

"Okay, baby," Keith agreed, smiling up at him. "You know where the washcloths are. I'm gonna go back out into the living room." 

"Okay. And, um... I can just walk up to you? And that's okay?" 

Keith pushed himself off the floor, closing the closet door behind him and pulling Lance in for another kiss. "Yes, of course. I want you to." 

"Okay. You're not gonna tell your parents I was in here crying, are you?" 

"No, baby, I'm not. I'll just tell them you had to make a phone call or something." 

"Okay. What- Do they know anything about me? My family situation?" 

"I've only told them that you're adopted, but that's it. You can talk about it if you want or not, it's up to you." 

Lance nodded. "Maybe... Maybe not today. But thank you. I'll be out in a second."

It took more than a few seconds for him to feel brave enough to come back out. People had rearranged and moved around in his absence, and eyes found him. Hunk and Pidge both looked concerned, which made his heart flutter. With a small smile, he waved their concerns away and walked up to Keith. They looked like a good family, a nice whole one. He felt a little like an intruder approaching them, settling at Keith's side and taking his hand. 

Keith glanced at him with a smile, squeezing his hand gently. "Hey, baby. Everything good?" 

Lance's heart swelled. Keith wasn't pulling him out of one hole just to push him into another. He was pulling him out and holding him up, teaching him how to navigate around all the falls along the way. "Yeah. I'm okay. Are you going to open presents soon?" 

"Mmhm, but we have to have cake too. I've been looking forward to that all day." 

Lance playfully poked his stomach. "I don't know how you're still hungry. You got _seconds_."

Keith laughed. "It was _good_! Plus, there's always room for cake." 

"He's always been able to pack away food," Tex mused, no one pointing out that Lance had been gone for the better part of an hour. "He's a garbage disposal."

"I'm not a _garbage_ disposal!" Keith protested. 

"A human trash can then," he teased. 

Lance bit his lip. "Just a little bit of one."

"Hey! Don't you gang up on me too. You're supposed to be on my side." 

Krolia laughed softly. "It seems your boyfriend has turned against you." 

Keith just sucked his teeth. 

"Oh, no, I'm still on Keith's side." All earnest sweetness, Lance laced their fingers. "I just know what's true. I've stayed here too many nights."

"Hmm, I don't think you've stayed _enough_ nights." 

Lance swayed a little, cheeks pink. "How many's enough?" 

Keith smiled, kissing his blushing cheek. "There will never be enough." 

Lance muffled his giggle, shifting closer. "Okay. Open your presents first. Then you can eat cake."

"Why not cake first?" 

Krolia hummed. "No, I agree with Lance. Gifts first. You do not want an upset stomach later." 

Lance smiled, surprised but pleased with the agreement. He tugged Keith's hand to get him to head for the couch. "Yeah. Besides, the leftover cake is staying here for you."

"Perfect." 

"Just make sure you do not eat it all in one night," Krolia warned. 

"I won't." He probably would.

"You'll try," Lance knew, kissing his cheek. He tried to sit at his feet when they reached the couch, gasping when he was pulled down into his lap. " _Keith_!" 

He chuckled, kissing Lance's cheek. "What?" he asked innocently. "I wanted to sit with you." 

Lance wiggled until he was sitting sideways, butt on the cushion and legs across Keith's lap. "Fine, but I'm not blocking your presents."

Hunk laughed. "I think he'd be okay if you were his only one."

" _Hunk_!"

Keith chuckled, hands resting on Lance's bare legs. "He's not wrong." 

"Stop or I'm gonna sit on the floor," he threatened, blush seeping in. 

"Mm, no you won't, 'cause I'll just drag you back up here with me." 

There were eyes on them, plenty of amusement aimed their way. Lance lifted his hands to his face in an effort to hide. "Open your p-presents."

"Well, I don't have any yet," Keith pointed out teasingly. 

Lance quickly stuck his tongue out, but squeaked a little when Shiro settled the small pile on the coffee table. It mostly looked like cards, but the few gifts he had were neatly wrapped. All except one, Lance instantly self-conscious about his messy wrapping and stupid idea. It was embarrassing to have that on the table. Shiro passed Keith the cards first, lips quirked. "You'd have your presents if you weren't being lazy and demanding cake."

"You can't fault me for wanting cake. It's _my_ birthday, after all." 

"Patience is a virtue, Keith."

He sucked his teeth and opened the first card, laughing at the dumb little joke hand-written by Matt. "Thanks, Matt." 

He grinned. "I figured you'd appreciate a good math pun. I forgot to write down the gift card amount, but it's fifty."

"Nice, thanks." Smiling, Keith set it aside and opened the next card, which was from Pidge. It was surprisingly sweet while also being hilarious, Keith thanking her before moving on. He opened Hunk's and expressed his gratitude and then opened Shiro’s card. It was sappy and just what he'd expect Shiro to get him, along with a gift certificate to a nice restaurant in Manhattan. The note attached read _You're only two hours away from the city. Take your boyfriend somewhere special_. "Thank you, Shiro. I'll put this to good use." 

"I hope you do. It's a good place."

"Awesome." Keith passed the card over to Lance with a smile as he moved to the one from his parents. It was one of those obligatory _We can't believe you're growing up so fast_ , even though he was already twenty, but there was also a check inside, like normal. "Cool, thanks guys." 

"You are very welcome, Keith," Krolia replied with a smile. "You can use that with Shiro's gift and make an overnight trip of it." 

Lance bit his lip, carefully closing the card. Shiro was really nice. He really shouldn't have shut the door in his face. He'd never heard of the restaurant in question, but it was really sweet to have been included in a gift. "An overnight trip?" 

Keith smiled, patting his leg. "That restaurant is in Manhattan, so we could go and stay the night in a hotel in the city." 

"Okay. I've never been, so that could be fun."

"Mmhm. We'll have fun." Keith set that card aside and looked at the table. "Were those all the cards?" 

No, but Lance stayed quiet. He hoped no one else would say anything either, but Hunk shook his head. "Lance made you one. Did it get stuck under his present?" 

Shiro picked up the poorly wrapped one and carefully unstuck the card from the bottom. He passed it over, soft, encouraging smile aimed Lance's way as he covered his face again. "Yeah, here we go. Here, Keith."

Keith grinned as he took it, very carefully taking it out of the envelope. The card itself was so cute, a little bunch of rainbow heart balloons punched out of construction paper. Keith loved it and excitedly opened it to read the note Lance had handwritten. _Feliz cumpleaños, mi cielo. I can't wait to celebrate more birthdays with you. Te amo_. His heart fluttered as he reached for Lance's hand, kissing the back. "Thank you, baby. I love it and I love you." 

"Te amo también, mi cielo," he murmured. "You really like it? It was fun to make. But I got glue on the carpet in the dorm."

Keith laughed. "I'm sure it's fine. But yes, I really love it." 

"Good." Lance smiled, moving his legs so he could lean close enough to kiss his cheek. "Now you can open your presents."

"Gee, thanks," he teased, chuckling. "Someone hand me the first one." 

There were three besides Lance's gift, and Shiro handed them all to Lance to set on the cushion beside him. Smiling, Lance handed him the one from his parents. It was a slim box, making him curious. 

It made Keith feel the same, so he eagerly ripped the paper off. Inside the box, according to the picture, was a brand new laptop, one of the best in current production. Keith beamed at his parents. "Thank you, this is amazing." 

Tex smiled. "Should be a little something underneath the box. Figured if you had someone going into law school, he should get some hardware too. But y'all can pick that out."

It took Lance a minute to realize just who they meant, gasping and reaching for Keith's shirt for something to hold. "Oh, no. It- it's Keith's birthday. I shouldn't get anything."

"Buy it tomorrow then."

Smile soft, Keith turned to kiss Lance's cheek. "You deserve it, baby. Let us treat you right, okay?" 

Lance couldn't refuse, eyes wide behind his lenses. "I'm- O-okay. Thank you. I, um... This one's from Pidge."

The package was fairly large, but after Keith got it open, he realized it was just a box filled with a few different board games. "For the next game night?" Keith wondered, grin widening. 

"You know it. Next Saturday's Clue night, but we've got a lot of games to introduce Lance to."

He blinked at the stack, running his fingers over the edges curiously. "They look fun." 

"They do," Keith agreed, setting the box on the floor in front of him. "There's a couple I don't recognize, but Pidge is probably gonna crush us at all of them anyway." 

"You bet. Lance might just kill at Risk, though. I found some footage of you winning serious prize money in chess championships, nerd."

He flushed, gaze falling. He'd never seen a dime of it. "I- I just like strategy."

"Oh, then you'll definitely beat us all," Keith declared, taking his hand and squeezing gently. "You'll probably beat us at Clue, too." 

He looked up, their fingers lacing briefly. "We'll see. Now open Hunk's present. Here."

Hunk grinned. "It's not quite as homemade as Lance's cute card, but it's up there."

Keith took the gift on a laugh. "I like how you complimented yourself as well as Lance, there. Good job." He tore the wrapping paper off to reveal a recipe book, and after flipping through some of the pages, realized that they were friendly to both his and Lance's dietary needs. He smiled, closing it and passing it to Lance to look at. "This is amazing, Hunk. Thanks, man." 

"No problem. A lot of them are pretty simple since Lance keeps saying he wants to help out in the kitchen."

"I do," he confirmed, looking through the pages with a soft smile. So many of Keith's presents had included him, like he was so much a part of Keith's life somehow that even people he'd never met had thought of him. It was a thousand times better than any birthday he could remember and this one wasn't even his. "Everybody loves you so much, Keith. Your presents are all so nice."

"We all love you too, Lance." He knew it even though this was the first time anyone from his family was meeting him. "All of my presents were given to me with you in mind, because you're a big part of my life now and I want us to share the happiness we both deserve." 

Lance blinked at him, blushing and looking down at the recipe book. Keith really needed to stop reading his mind. It was a little embarrassing to be so obvious. "Eres dulce," he mumbled. 

Keith kissed his cheek. "I think your present is the last one."

"Oh. I'm- It's not as good as anyone else's and-" He squeaked when Tex simply leaned over the back of the couch and plucked it up to hand it to Keith himself. 

Matt laughed. "I was starting to think he only made mouse sounds at Shiro."

"Hey," Keith protested, starting to tear the paper. "Leave my cute boyfriend alone." 

"No way. Everybody gets called out. It's the Holt way."

Lance didn't mind the teasing so much, too nervous about Keith to be nervous about his so-called mouse sounds. He set the recipe book aside so he could wring his hands together. "Soy tu novio lindo," he murmured, watching Keith's hands. "Um. I- I don't know if you'll like it, but..."

Keith offered a small smile before he pulled the rest of the wrapping paper off, and it widened as he saw what it was hiding. The front of the box was a gorgeous galaxy scene, several planets clumped together with colorful nebulae and stars surrounding them, boasting that it was a one thousand piece puzzle. "This is so beautiful, baby. You're gonna help me with it, right?" 

"Mmhm. I was- You said you liked to make memories, so I... I thought we could do it and then put it in a frame or something and hang it up? Maybe. We don't have to."

"No, that sounds like a perfect idea. We can fill the house with them." 

That would just be silly, but Lance appreciated the thought anyway. He snuggled up to Keith's side, laying a cheek on his shoulder. "Eres perfecto," he purred, happy as can be. 

Hunk pushed himself out of his seat, grinning. "I'll go get the cake now."

"Yes!" Keith cheered.

His mother merely shook her head, smiling. "I would say you do not need it, but I know I will be ignored."

"You're definitely right about that." 

Tex chuckled, banding an arm around his wife's waist. "For being a human garbage disposal, I think he was pretty patient through all his presents."

Lance giggled. He wouldn't have called him patient from the way he'd ripped through his gifts, but it had been enlightening for him. All of these people loved Keith so much. How could he possibly be afraid of any of them? Even Shiro had done nothing terrifying. For being such a big guy, he was probably more patient than Keith. It made him more curious about his wounds than afraid of them. His parents didn't seem so frightening either, not when they were singing the birthday song to Keith. This was a good family. 

"And many more" rang out to end the song with laughter while Keith blew out the candles. They were shapeless to him, but he heard some compliments on the number candles and surmised that it was likely a two and a zero. Much safer than twenty actual candles on a chocolate cake. Lance hoped that number went up and up and up, heart fluttering as he cupped Keith's cheek and gave him a firm, sound kiss. 

Keith smiled into it, lifting his hand to the back of Lance's neck to hold him in place. It really was the best birthday he'd ever had, simply because he was surrounded by his friends and family plus a boyfriend who loved him. 

Lance giggled, wrapping his arms around Keith and going easily when Keith pulled him back into his lap. It didn't feel quite so embarrassing now with everyone dispersing to get a piece of the mocha fudge cake Hunk had whipped up. Lance envied the smell when Keith got his slice, surprised when Hunk handed him a plate too. "Oh, but-" 

"Did you seriously think I was gonna make a birthday cake that you can't eat?" 

"But you made me cupcakes."

"Surprise," he teased. 

Keith grinned, kissing his cheek and leaving a frosting mark on his skin. "I asked him to make it like that. Honestly the gluten-free stuff is growing on me. It's not so bad." 

Lance rubbed his thumb over the little mark, smile bright. "It depends on what's getting made and what the substitutions are."

"Mmhm. The garlic knots were good. I'll have to make those again." 

"They're in your book, and..." Hunk lowered his voice after a quick look around. "I've got plenty of evidence on Henry and his secretary. Pidge and I decided not to give it to you in front of everyone, but she's got the USB with all of it in her pocket."

Keith beamed, hugging Lance tight. " _That_ is the best gift I've gotten all day." 

It was another piece of his freedom. Like the laptop gift card and the phone he'd gotten the night before. Lance didn't know it, but the rest of his belongings were in Hunk's van, ready to get moved in. He had a meeting with a guidance counselor Monday and he'd be changing his school passwords the very next morning. With any luck, he'd just had his last tearful conversation with his adopted parents. He'd never have to call them mother and father again. 

Smile bright, he snuggled against Keith. "I think it's my favorite too."

"Mmhm. It's finally happening, baby." 

It was bad that it made him a little sad, so he didn't mention it. "Yeah. Thank you. All three of you have been great."

"It's all for you, sweetheart." 

"Yeah, man. You deserve it."

"Hey," Pidge greeted, appearing beside Hunk with an extra slice of cake he definitely hadn't cut for her. "Hunk, you share the good news yet?" 

"Yeah, just did."

"Good." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin flash drive, handing it to Keith with a wicked grin. "Save that. It's all time and date stamped and there's some extra info in there that could help if Lance wants to take them on in a civil trial."

"What do you mean?" he wondered, looking at the little stick. 

"It _means_ they've committed some fraud. Taken some shit out in your name, _including_ their brand new Mercedes GLS. You could literally go up to their house, grab the car, and drive it back here without issue because it's totally in your name. I did a little extra digging."

"The nice blue one? She bought it on my birthday. Why would it be in my name?" 

"Because they don't have good credit and _you_ do."

"Why would they have bad credit? They're rich."

Pidge just wiggled her brows, grin even more wicked. 

"Well?" Keith pressed. "What happened?" 

" _Somebody_ has been showering his mistress with so many presents and buying motel rooms on secret credit cards that he tanked his credit rating. Somebody _else_ buys plenty of shit for herself on more secret credit cards and tanked her credit. They're in debt up to their ears and his accounting firm is sinking because he's too busy screwing around to get new or keep old clients. And, actually, you guys might want to go get the SUV and make a payment because they're ruining Lance's credit now too."

His head was spinning. "A... A p-payment? She said she paid cash."

"She's full of shit."

Keith rolled his eyes, but underneath he was seething mad. How _dare_ they fuck up his boyfriend's life like that. At least they hopefully caught it early enough that Keith could help him dig out of it. "I'll take care of it. We're gonna go get that car. I'll get Shiro to come with us. It's hard to go up against him and win." 

"Oh, no, I don't want to bother him."

"No, he'd be happy to help. We don't have to tell him everything, either. Just why we're going."

Lance opened his mouth to keep arguing, but Pidge steamrolled him, "There's one more thing. Lance, have you ever driven a car in your life?" 

His brow furrowed. "I... No."

"As far as the state's concerned, you have. They forged documents, sent in a picture of you, took the driver's test _for_ you, and I got into the system and you're getting a new ID sent to you here. Should be in by Tuesday."

Lance just stared at her. They'd been using him. They'd been using him even more than he'd thought. No wonder Marcia had wanted in his inheritance accounts so badly. They were beyond broke, stealing from him, lying across the board. It sounded insane. "H-holy crow..."

Keith squeezed him, resting his brow on Lance's shoulder. "They're _beyond_ scummy, Lance, and they need to be stopped. I know… I know that they adopted you and basically raised you, but they are literally ruining your life. We need to stop them now before it gets worse." 

"I know..." But it hurt. He should've been used to it, but he wasn't. It just _hurt_. "Um. What address did you use on my ID?" 

"This one. I also went ahead and put in a claim that your old one was stolen, so there's a new license number and a new picture. If they try to use your old one on any applications, it'll automatically stop it and set up an alert. Hunk and I've had a busy week."

"It's been worthwhile, though."

"Yeah… I really appreciate everything you guys have done," Keith said. "I know it probably wasn't all easy, so thank you." 

"Oh, don't worry. Your credit card paid for it all." Pidge smirked. "You'll see a couple charges on the statement. Those were us."

"And I'm gonna go ahead and say that I told her we needed to ask permission first."

Pidge waved a hand. "Details, details. We got results."

"Honestly, whatever it takes. I'm glad it's done." 

But it wasn't done, was it? Lance leaned back, eyes closing as his mind whirled. "So the ID's coming Tuesday?" 

"Monday or Tuesday. Tuesday at the latest."

He tapped his fork against the little plastic plate, humming. "Do you think Shiro would be able to help after it gets here? I don't want them to maybe call the cops and say it's being stolen and not have my new ID. And the insurance won't be in my name. What about the registration?" 

"Registration and insurance _are_ in your name," Hunk assured him. "She's been in a ton of fender benders and junk and your record's clean. We actually removed them and the new insurance cards are available online already. You can get the app on your phone and we already set up the payments on Keith's card."

Lance blew out a slow breath, blinking rapidly as his eyes teared up. "You guys are so thorough..."

"We wanted to take as much headache away from you and Keith as we could. Get you a clean break," Pidge explained. 

"Basically."

Keith cupped Lance's cheek. "That's amazing, guys. How can I ever repay you?" 

Lance turned his head, hiding against Keith's palm, and Pidge waved a hand. "Pssh. Happy birthday, loser."

"Yeah, man, we don't need anything. Knowing they're gonna be totally screwed for hurting Lance is more than enough."

"Thanks. That's honestly the best present." 

"Mmhm. S-so after my ID gets here, we'll go?" Lance murmured. 

"Yeah, baby. I'll talk to Shiro before he leaves today." 

"Okay. So... We'll have a car? Can we take Kosmo for rides? To the petstore?" 

Keith had to laugh at the thought of Kosmo in the Mercedes, but he nodded. "Mmhm, we can go anywhere we want with it and her." And the addition they'd have to their little family in another few days. 

"Okay. Does she like being in the car?" 

"Yeah, she's really good in cars. She likes to hang her head out the window." 

"That'll be fun." He closed his eyes on a soft sigh. This was all exhausting, but some good things seemed to be coming from it. "Do... Do y-you think... M-maybe you can... M-maybe I can learn t-to drive? Maybe?" 

Keith kissed his temple. "Of course, baby. That was in the plans all along." 

"Really?" 

"Mmhm. Step one was to get your license, but that's been taken care of." 

"Is it okay that they used your address?" 

"Well, yeah, 'cause you live here now." 

Lance blinked once then twice. "When did that happen?" 

Gazing upward, Pidge sighed heavily. "How is he _so_ unobservant?" 

Hunk laughed, taking his keys out of his pocket. "Come on, Pidge. Help me unload the van."

Keith chuckled as they walked away, kissing Lance's cheek before telling him, "We've been moving your stuff over here for about a week or so now. Hunk has the rest of your things in the van." 

"R-really? I... You want me to live with you? All the time?" 

"Yes, of course I do, baby. I love you. And you're basically a sitting duck in that dorm room. I'd feel much better with you here." 

He probably was, so didn't argue. It was just amazing that Keith really wanted him. But, then, he hadn't slept in the dorm since that first night and didn't really _want_ to go back. He liked sleeping in Keith's bed. He'd had fewer nightmares and there was always someone to hold him and make him feel safe when they did happen. There was someone who loved him. "I- I love you too. I want to live with you."

Keith grinned, cupping his cheek and kissing him firmly. "I'm really glad you do." 

"Have you ever had a boyfriend live with you before?" 

"Mm-mm. You're the first and only one." 

Lance smiled. "So I'm special?" 

"You are the most special person I know, baby." 

He laughed, nuzzling into Keith's neck. "Good. I like being special to you. Now finish your cake, mi cielo. You wanted it so much, and it's _amazing_."

"It _really_ is," Keith agreed with a smile, picking his plate back up and digging back in. 

Lance watched him for a moment, smile soft. "Eres dulce, mi cielo. Almost as sweet as cake."

Keith laughed. "Almost?" 

"Almost," he confirmed, leaning in to share a chocolate kiss. "You've got too much spice to be completely sweet."

"Mm, I suppose you're right about that." 

"Mmhm. And now I know where it comes from. You're sassy like your mom, but you're nice like your dad. I think she was right that you got the best of both of them."

Keith smiled, rubbing their noses together. "I must have."

"I don't know where the brat part came from," Lance teased. "I think you did that one all on your own."

He laughed, head tossed back and eyes closing gleefully. "I mean, yeah," he agreed when he'd calmed. "That definitely wasn't my parents." 

Lance beamed. He loved hearing Keith laugh like that. Nearby, quietly listening to them, Keith's parents exchanged looks. It had been some time since they'd heard their restless son sound so freely happy. 

So after cake had been eaten and Lance's single remaining box of things had been brought in, they tag-teamed an easy enough plot to get Keith on his own. Shiro liked chess, so it was simple to suggest a small game between him and Lance. Even though he looked at Keith, bottom lip trapped between his teeth, he got an encouraging nudge to the small side table the board was set up on.

Lance wrung his hands together, still a _little_ nervous around Shiro. Not because of his size so much now, but just plain embarrassment. He'd been rude to him and shy around him and this was Keith's cousin. They were clearly close. "O-okay. Um. I'll take black."

As they settled in, Shiro making the first move, Tex laid a hand on Keith's shoulder. "He really any good at it?" 

Keith grinned proudly. "He's won multiple national championships and several in high school. He's amazing." 

"Should give Shiro a run for his money, then. He used to beat the tar outta you."

"Oh, shut up. Chess just isn't my game." 

"Too much sittin' still. Never were one for settlin' anyplace, but I'd say that boy's got you wrapped around his finger'n don't even know it."

Keith's cheeks flushed pink, but he shrugged. "Whatever. His family situation is… difficult. _Was_ difficult. Someone needed to help him and nobody else was. He just also happens to be attractive and sweet and perfect." 

"I'll just leave that alone. Your mom 'n' me just like how happy y'are. For seemin' so shy 'n' small, he's made a hell of an impact."

"He's opening up. Slowly, but he is. He's just been sheltered his whole life, so now that he's got some freedom and some friends, he is coming into himself." 

"Your mom's thinkin' he was abused," Tex murmured. "That's a whole lot for you to take on."

Keith averted his gaze briefly, glancing at Lance. "Um, yeah, I know. It's still not all over. His parents were using him too, his name and credit and everything. We're trying to fix it all." 

"Alright. Y'all know we'll come if you need anything. Your mom 'n' me have some great lawyers who'll tear 'em up."

Keith smiled, nodding as he turned back to face his father. "I know. We might need 'em." 

"Alright, y'all know how to find us." He smiled, giving his shoulder a firm squeeze. "Y'know we're proud o'you, right?" 

His heart fluttered, not used to hearing it still, even though he knew they were. "Yeah… Thanks, dad."

"Mmhm. An' just so we're clear, you get the brat part from your mom."

Keith barked out a laugh. "I'm gonna tell her you said that." 

"Y'ain't got any proof, so hush."

Though both noticed when Lance looked up, hearing Keith's laugh. He smiled, soft and sweet, and surprised Shiro by taking his knight. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice that move. Keith never does."

"Well... Keith's... He's _okay_ at chess." Pink cheeked, Lance moved his bishop to safety and left Shiro stumped for a few seconds. "But he's really good at other stuff."

"Is he?" Shiro smiled encouragingly at Lance's emphatic nod. "What do you see in him?" 

"Oh. Just- A lot. He's really sweet to me, he's so smart, he's gorgeous with all his cool tattoos, he- he loves me, and he never hurts me." The last one was said the same as the others, as if it were somehow unique to Keith and not something that should be common decency. It confirmed suspicions around the room. 

Tex gave Keith's shoulder another squeeze. "Yeah. I'm _real_ proud of you."

Keith blushed, though there was a smile on his face. "Thanks… I'll never hurt him. I love him too much." 

Enough to catch Shiro alone before he left and quietly ask for his help in retrieving the SUV. Of course he agreed without hesitation, happy to help Lance sever ties from a situation that was clearly bad for him. He may have been shy and sweet, but he was vicious at chess. He'd pulled no punches and deserved to be in an environment where he could flourish. 

He even surprised Lance with a hug on his way out and Lance actually smiled and returned it. The gift had softened him and the game had cemented his comfort with him. He told dumb dad jokes and gave him genuine compliments. He was a good guy and Lance had learned how to identify those. Matt was okay too. He was a little goofy and many of his jokes went over Lance's head, but he was nice and Pidge was never afraid to call him out. He never got mad at her for it, so that upped his safety. 

And then Keith's parents. They were the last to leave, and they nearly made Lance cry. Tex bundled him up in a fierce hug and it was so strange to get a hug from a dad. So incredibly nice, but so jarring to his system. Lance had held on seconds longer than necessary, fingers curled onto his jacket and face buried against his chest, but Tex had let him with an easy smile. He drew back, firmly squeezing his shoulders. "Now Keith's gonna give you our numbers. You put them in that phone o'yours and you call if you need anything."

Lance bit his lip. "O-okay. Thank you."

"Keith, y'hear that?" 

"Yeah, I'll plug them in."

"Excellent," Krolia declared, wrapping Lance up in a hug of her own. "Please do not hesitate to call." 

Lance gasped softly. She seemed stricter than Tex, more proper, but there she was. He hugged her back, trying not to cling as much as he had to Tex but he still held on. It had been a long, long time since he'd been hugged by a mom. "I... I won't."

She smiled softly, kissing his cheek as she pulled out of the hug. "Now do not let my son treat you badly. He will have me to answer to." 

Lance's brow furrowed. "Why?" 

"Because I did not raise him that way." 

"Oh." He didn't completely understand. Keith was her son. Why would she punish him for treating _Lance_ badly? "Um. Okay. But he's really good to me."

"Good." She knew her son was a gentleman and was incredibly proud already of how Keith was with Lance. "I hope you two have a lovely rest of the evening." 

Lance's smile returned, gaze finding his boyfriend's. "I think we will."

A smirk identical to Keith's spread over her face. "Well, we will not keep you any longer, then."

Tex chuckled as Lance's blush rose. "Don't embarrass the boy, darlin'."

"Then we should leave." 

He reached for and took her hand, his other reaching for the keys in his pocket. "We'll see y'all soon. Bring him 'round for Thanksgiving, Keith."

Keith smiled, arm banding around Lance's waist. "I definitely will." 

Lance leaned against him, absolutely awed by these people. They'd been so nice to him and it was really no wonder that Keith was as good as he was. "I'm- I'd love to come. Thank you."

"You are very welcome." Krolia offered them a warm smile. "Good night to you both, and happy birthday, Keith."

"Thanks, mom. We'll see you guys at Thanksgiving." 

"Bye. Thank you." Lance followed them, watching them get in their car before he closed the door. And then he turned to look up at Keith, smile bright. "They liked me."

Keith beamed, kissing him firmly. "I told you they would, baby. Did you like them?" 

"Yeah. They were really nice to me." He looped his arms around Keith's neck. "Everyone was. No one made fun of my dress and Shiro wasn't even mad when I beat him at chess."

"No, well, he's not a sore loser." Keith chucked, rubbing their noses together. "And I told you the dress would be fine, too." 

"I was still worried, but I'm really glad I got to meet everyone. I like your family, Keith. Did you have a good time, though? It's _your_ birthday."

"I had a great time, baby. I loved that you were here with me for it." 

"It was a lot of fun." Smiling, Lance kissed him again. Despite a few emotional hiccups for him, it really had been a great day. Keith knew he loved him, had officially moved him in, and he had an invite to Thanksgiving. It was almost like being welcomed into a new family and it made him feel lucky. And happy. Very, very happy. 

\----


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter y'all have been waiting for: Lance in lingerie and, more importantly, sex. 👀👀
> 
> That should be enough of a warning. 😘
> 
> ([Click here](https://imgur.com/a/qols3Cx) to see the inspo for Lance's lingerie. Everything is meant to be the same navy blue as the chemise.)

They were finally alone. The house was empty and Lance, in all his sweetness, bounced away from Keith to do dishes. Kosmo laid by his feet, silently hoping for crumbs but too tired to actively beg or reach if some fell a little too far. Lance giggled at her, shaking his head. "Lazy perrita. Did all that fetch and attention wear you out?"

She lifted her head briefly before flopping over onto her side, panting against the floorboards. 

"Sí, perrita buena." He crouched down, damp hands rubbing her side and scratching her belly when she lifted a single paw. "Eres linda," he cooed, watching her tail limply thump. "I know, perrita, you're so tired. You're gonna sleep so good tonight, huh? Good girl. Maybe one day you can get a sister or something, huh? You'll be able to tire each other out and have fun."

Smiling, he straightened to get back to the dishes and gasped a little when he felt warm hands settle on his thighs. " _Keith_. Don't scare me like that."

He chuckled, pressing a wet kiss to the back of Lance's neck. "But I like hearing your cute gasps." 

"You like being a brat," he teased, but shut off the water and leaned back. "I'm trying to clean."

"But it's my birthday and I want you." 

"Well, you already have me."

"Mm, I do have you. But now I want to _have_ you." 

"Wha- _Oh_." Lance shivered against him, biting his lip. "Do you... Do you have what you wanted me to wear?" 

"Mmhm…" Keith nibbled on Lance's nape, smiling against his skin. "It's laid out on the bed for you. Why don't you go change and I can finish up the dishes?" 

"Mmhm. I, um, I can get changed. Dishes are almost done too. Is it just panties?"

Keith smirked. "You'll see." 

That meant no. Lance bit his lip, turning in Keith's arms to seal their lips together. He'd gotten leagues better at kissing, knew just how to move his tongue over Keith's to feel his grip tighten. He liked feeling wanted, so broke the kiss and backed away. "Don't take too long."

"Don't worry, I won't." 

Lance smiled and sped off, excited butterflies competing with the nervous ones in his belly. He was going to let Keith have him, had been preparing himself for it all week without telling him. He was used to being quiet in the shower, alone with his thoughts and his own hands. If Keith had noticed anything it would've been his lube getting lower. 

But he was so ready for Keith's hands, Keith's... Keith's thick cock, just the thought making a blush rise. The satin and lace waiting for him on the bed made more than color rise, Lance absolutely amazed by it. Keith would definitely want to rip it and the little tiny piece of fabric holding it together would certainly be easy to rip. He changed quickly, biting his lip as he admired himself in the mirror. Thin straps clung to his shoulders, strips of lace coming together briefly to spread back out and show off the lacy blue thong to match the chemise. It was the same blue as his eyes, so they seemed brighter behind his lenses. 

He liked it. He would even say he looked sexy in it, already half-hard in the panties and ready for Keith's touch. To get even more ready, he climbed into bed and settled right in the middle, propped up on pillows and waiting for Keith. But, oh, he'd almost forgotten. He rolled out of bed to search through his bag and pull out the pretty red ribbon he'd gotten from the craft store when Hunk had bought him things for the card. As a quick, final touch, he tied it in a neat bow around his neck and returned to his place on the bed. He wanted to be a present, as much as what he'd unwrapped earlier. 

Keith took his time with the rest of the dishes, unnecessarily wiping the counters down again so he could give Lance time to change his mind about the outfit if he wanted. He wasn't sure that Lance would be entirely comfortable with it, so wanted to give him the option. He was pleasantly surprised, however, when he walked into his bedroom and saw Lance wearing the chemise and panties, looking like a dream come true, the perfect birthday gift, even finished off with a neat little bow around his neck.

Keith smiled at him, licking his lips as he stepped inside the room and shut the door quietly behind him. "God, baby," he breathed, "you look _incredible_."

Lance bit his lip, pressing his thighs together as if that would relax the flare of hot arousal that rushed through him. The way Keith _looked_ at him was enough to get him going. "Y-yeah? I want to look good for you and this is really pretty. I like the way it feels on my skin."

He made his way closer to the foot of the bed, reaching out to lightly trace circles over Lance's leg. "Mm, good. It was the softest satin at the store I went to. I just knew you'd look gorgeous in it."

"There's not much of it." He smiled, the touch tingling over his skin. "B-but I think I look really good in it. Do you... wanna see the back?" 

"I'd love to." 

He'd do anything to keep those eyes on him, heart racing as he rolled over and lifted to his knees. He kept his cheek against the pillow, ass framed neatly by the chemise and barely covered by the thong strap. "Is it as n-nice as the front?" 

Keith let out a soft sound, nearly a whimper at the sight before him. "Fuck… It- It's better." 

Lance bit his lip, hips swaying. "Good. I like when you make sounds l-like that."

"Well, you're gonna hear a lot more of 'em tonight." Keith knelt on the edge of the bed, cupping Lance's ass in both hands and leaning down to press a kiss to each cheek. "I want to hear you too." 

Lance gasped softly, unprepared for the attention. "Y-yeah. I'll be good. Nice and loud for mi cielo."

"Good. I love hearing how good I'm making you feel." Smiling, Keith suckled at his skin, leaving wet kisses along a trail across his backside. "I love how soft your skin feels under my lips. I love you, Lance." 

Lance shivered, the words as amazing as Keith's mouth. "I love you too. So much. Te amo mucho."

Keith smiled, kissing him one last time before tapping his leg. "Go ahead and turn over again for me, baby. I wanna get you ready." 

He turned easily, reaching out for him. "Bèsame."

Keith didn't know what it meant, but he let Lance pull him down, and got the idea as their lips fused together. He smiled into the kiss, cupping Lance's cheeks as he laid out over him. 

It was different when Keith was the one dressed, his shirt rubbing against Lance's skin and the denim of his dark jeans a little rough. It made him feel vulnerable, but the lips over his were so sweet, the hands gentle, so no fear joined the vulnerability. When the kiss broke, Lance let his lips trail along Keith's jawline while his fingers bunched in his shirt. "Te amo mucho, mi cielo. Eres guapo y perfecto y mío. Soy tuyo."

"Mmhm. I'm yours, baby. I'm gonna make you feel so good. But please tell me if anything is too much or if it starts hurting. I don't want to do that to you." 

"I know and I will." He slid a hand up into Keith's hair to stroke, biting his lip. "I, um, I've been getting ready. This week."

"Oh?" Not quite sure what he meant, Keith started kissing along his jaw and down to his neck, sucking a small hickey into his skin. "What've you been doing?" 

Lance moaned softly, head tilting to grant more access. "I, um... F-fingers. In the- in the shower. So I could be ready for you. I m-made it to four."

" _Oh_." Keith nipped him particularly sharply, grinding down against him. "Fuck, baby, that's so hot. Wish I coulda seen it." 

Lance gasped, a moan slipping out on its heels. "K-Keith," he whined, arousal sparking up his body and canting his hips up. "Y-you're- You'll get a- a really good view n-now. I really w-want you."

Keith smiled, lifting to his knees and teasing his fingers along the portion of Lance's skin that the chemise was revealing, staying away from his cock for the time being. "I really want you too. I want to make love to you." 

"Mm... Mmhm. Te deseo." Lance shivered under his touch, back settling against the bed again. His own hands found Keith's shirt, drawing it up. "I love how you make me feel."

Keith paused to sit back and pull his shirt all the way off and toss it to the side. "I only ever want to make you feel good, baby. I never want to hurt you." 

"I know. I trust you, Keith. I really do or I don't really think I'd be here." He reached out, fingers tracing his abs. "Even though you're really beautiful."

"I don't blame you, sweetheart. If you didn't trust me, I wouldn't want you here tonight. But I'm so glad you do and that you are here." Smiling, he leant down and suckled at Lance's neck again. "I love you so much." 

Lance stroked his hair, smiling as he shifted to give more access. Hearing the words made him so very happy. They sounded so nice coming from Keith, so special. "Y tú, mi cielo. Te amo. And I want you to have all of me."

"I'll take it," Keith murmured, trailing kisses over his collarbone. "But I think before I get inside you, I'm gonna make you come at least once. It'll help you relax." 

Lance shifted beneath him, fingers tightening in his hair. "O-oh. How?" 

Keith hummed, laving his tongue over Lance's nipple through the lace covering it. "I'm gonna suck you off. I want you to come down my throat." 

Gasping, his fingers flexed in Keith's hair. "Y-yeah, yes. I want it."

He smirked, kissing over to the other nipple to pay it the same attention. He loved hearing Lance's sounds, the breathy gasps and soft moans as he moved further down his torso toward his abs. "You're so beautiful, baby. So responsive for me." 

"Mmhm. Eres perfecto, mi amor. Mi cielo dulce." His mouth was so warm and wet and perfect on him, his hands so sure and strong. He ached for more attention, so hard just in anticipation of more. "Me encanta. 'I love it.' I love you."

"I love you too, baby. So much." He moved lower, licking and suckling at soft, tanned skin as he went until he reached the waistband of the panties. He kissed Lance's cock through the lace before dragging his tongue over the fabric. 

Lance moaned, low and loud, head falling back against the pillows and legs spreading to give him more room. "K-Keith, please..."

Keith smiled up at him, rubbing his hands up and down Lance's thighs. "How attached are you to these panties?" Not that he wanted to destroy them, but there was something super hot about ripping the little lace thong off of him, and Keith could always buy him another one. 

Lance bit his lip, muscles quivering under Keith's fingers and length throbbing in the thin fabric. "I- I l-like the chemise a lot, but I can- I can get other panties."

"Yeah you can." Chuckling, Keith reached up and hooked his fingers in the lace and pulled hard. The thin fabric tore easily, Lance's cock springing out and slapping his stomach, which just showed how much it was straining to get out. "Fuck, baby… You're already leaking so much. You really want my mouth, huh?" 

He wanted everything. His mouth, his dick, his hands - he just wanted Keith. "Y-yeah. Te deseo." But then the phone he'd left in the closet started to ring. Lance bit his lip, grip tightening in Keith's hair to keep him in place. "N-no. Don't- They can wait. Please."

Keith settled back down, though he wanted to get up and grab the phone anyway. "Hmm, okay," he agreed reluctantly, tracing Lance's dick with a teasing finger. "But I'm getting it before I'm inside you so they can hear you moan my name as I take you." 

Lance nodded. Anything he wanted. "Th-they can wait. It'll m-make 'em more mad a-and I just- I don't want to think about them."

"I know, baby." Keith didn't want to think about them either, so leaned down and took Lance's cock halfway into his mouth, humming around him. 

Lance cried out, back arching. "Keith!" The ringing became dim background noise as his mind zeroed in on sensation. Wet, soft heat surrounded and overwhelmed, arousal muffling everything else. "Me encanta, mi cielo. _God_ , Keith..."

He smiled around his mouthful, sucking firmly for a few seconds before taking more in. Fingers curled around the part of his shaft that wasn't past his lips yet, stroking slowly, teasingly as his tongue tirelessly massaged the underside. 

Lance whimpered and whined, hips shifting in a desire to buck up and get _more_. Keith's mouth was heavenly, his fingers expertly moving over him. In the distance the phone stopped ringing only to start again after a few moments, but Lance didn't notice. He was lost in sensation, lost completely to Keith where it was safe and wonderful to be. "Please, please, Keith, please, mi cielo. Te amo."

"Mmhm," he hummed, his other hand snaking under him. A finger rubbed against Lance's entrance, but he didn't press since he didn't have the lube yet. Keith's mouth continued to work him over, and he started to bob his head while sucking firmly, the hand wrapped around his shaft moving at the same pace. 

Lance cried out, tugging at Keith's hair and scritching his scalp. His other hand fell to and gripped the sheets as he desperately tried to hold back. But the finger teasing his hole promised so much, sending electric arousal straight up his spine to overwhelm his mind. All of his efforts were pointless, unable to fight so much sensation for long. "Keith- Keith, Keith, god, Keith, it's-" Perfect, stunning, amazing. His head fell back as he tumbled from the edge, spilling down Keith's throat while his name was wailed. 

Keith moaned at his taste, pausing the movement of his head, but working him through it with firm suction and the strokes of his hand. When Lance stopped coming and started twitching in his over-stimulation, Keith pulled off and sat back, licking his lips. "I love your taste, baby. You're such a good boy coming for me like that." 

Lance reached out for him, eyes dark with satisfaction and arousal. "Soy t-tu chico bueno. Bèsame."

Smiling softly, Keith laid out over him again, cupping his cheeks and fusing their lips together. It would probably be slightly weird for Lance to kiss him after just having come in Keith's mouth, so he let him control the kiss. 

Lance was grateful for it, the kiss feeling extra intimate. He carefully lapped into Keith's mouth, shivering at the taste of himself on his tongue. Shivering under him, Lance broke the kiss and nuzzled into his neck. "I really liked that."

"I'm really glad you did, baby. Next time you can move. I felt you holding back," Keith explained, thumbs rubbing over his cheekbones. 

"I didn't want to hurt you or anything." Lance laid back, but his smile faded on a sigh when the phone started ringing again. Setting up the date had been such a mistake. He should've done something else or picked another night. "I don't want to talk to them."

"You don't have to, sweetheart. I am gonna go get it, but I'm gonna get the lube too so I can open you up for my cock." Smile soft, Keith reached down to trace a finger down Lance's again. "You still want my dick, right?" 

Lance shuddered. "Uh-huh. Te deseo. I want it. I want to be good for you."

"You're always good for me, baby. I love you so much." Keith kissed him once more before rolling out of bed, taking the opportunity to shed the rest of his clothes. He went into the closet first, retrieving the phone and setting it on the bedside table so it would be within reach, then dug his bottle of lube out of the drawer. A brow arched at the decreased volume, shooting a sly smirk Lance's way. "You _have_ been preparing, haven't you?" 

Lance hid his blush behind his palms, nodding. He'd happily watch Keith strut around naked anytime he could, but the teasing still got him. "I... I like it wet."

"Fuck, that's so hot…" Keith breathed, dropping the bottle onto the sheets and climbing back up. His hands pushed Lance's legs apart and he settled between them, grabbing a pillow next to position under his hips. "If you like it wet, I'll have to buy a plug for you, keep you nice and full of my come and ready for more whenever I want." 

"O-oh..." Lance was surprised the words didn't make his glasses fog. He certainly felt hotter. "A p-plug?" 

"Mmhm." Smirking, Keith popped the top on the lube bottle. "It's like teardrop-shaped silicone, metal, or glass that goes in your hole to keep you open, but it also prevents stuff from coming out." 

Lance's hips shifted on the pillow, his hole fluttering in anticipation. "That sounds... How come y-you don't already have one?" 

"They come in different sizes and materials, so it's really about what you'd prefer. I'll have to take you to pick one out that you think you'd like." He poured some of the slick onto his fingers, rubbing them with his thumb to warm up the liquid. "We'll go soon." 

"Okay." Lance watched his hands, eyes wide, and his hand shot out and snatched up the phone when it started to ring again. He didn't bother saying hello. "I am _trying_ to let my boyfriend put his whole dick in me. Stop calling." An angry "what?!" was quickly hung up on and Lance dropped the phone so it'd be in Keith's reach next time. He had little doubt that there'd be more calls.

Keith barked out a laugh, stunned that he'd dared to say that to any of them, but pleased nonetheless. "Oh, and it _is_ gonna be my whole dick, baby. You're getting every inch tonight," he bragged, ignoring the ringing phone in favor of reaching between Lance's legs to circle a wet finger around his entrance. 

Lance bit his lip, a little embarrassed now that it had actually been said. Keith seemed pretty pleased with him, at least, and bluntness was probably the easiest way to get the point across. But he wouldn't have to deal with them again, didn't want to. He didn't want to think about them. Thankfully Keith's hands were an amazing distraction, his length already twitching at the tease. "I... I want it. W-will you turn the phone off before you... Before you're in?"

"Of course, baby," he promised, sliding the finger that was teasing him inside. Lance really did take it easily, but Keith kept it to the one for the moment, crooking the digit inside him to lightly rub against his walls. "How does this feel so far?" 

Different. It wasn't his own hand. Lance rocked up testingly, a soft moan spilling out. "O-oh... It's... That's really good. M-more."

"God, you're perfect…" Keith smiled, though was achingly hard, his cock hanging hot and heavy between his legs and leaking onto the sheets. He ignored it and instead slipped his middle finger in alongside the first, beginning to gently scissor them. 

Lance moaned again, pleasure rippling over his features. "C-can I move? I want... Mm, K-Keith..."

Fuck, he was so beautiful. "Y-yeah, baby. You can do whatever you want." 

Lance rocked his hips, pushing against his hand. It was so different to be able to really focus on _feeling_ good instead of trying to reach that point. It wasn't long before he was ready for more, eager to get Keith inside. He hadn't missed the state of him, licking his lips as he looked down. It had intimidated him at first, but now he just wanted it. "I w-want another."

"So greedy…" Keith murmured, but would happily oblige him. He pulled the two fingers out only to slather on a little extra lube, and went back in with three, working him open even more. "You move so good for me, baby. You feel amazing around my fingers. I can't wait to feel you around my cock." 

Three was a lot, but Lance clenched around the digits just to watch his face. "Y-yeah? It's gonna be a... a tight fit."

Keith groaned, so ready to just stick it in. "Uh-huh… S'what I'm plannin' on."

Lance let his head fall back and his body relax, wanting the next part so badly. He could feel himself hardening again, feel the gentle burn of the stretch as Keith worked him open. He sank into the pleasure, everything else slipping away. He moaned Keith's name, hips moving hungrily. "Eres perfecto..."

"Mmhm…" Keith watched as he pumped his own fingers in and out, watched Lance's greedy little hole clenching around them, and moaned. "Fuck, are you ready?" 

His pulse jumped, fingers flexing in the sheets. "Uh-huh. But the... The phone..." It hadn't stopped ringing, and he just _knew_ there was trouble on the other side. 

"I know, baby. I'll take care of it." Carefully, Keith pulled his fingers out, not bothering to wipe them off as he grabbed the phone and picked up the current call. "You were told to stop calling," he barked. "Now I'm turning this phone off and I'm going to fuck my boyfriend, whether you like it or not." He jabbed the end call button and turned the volume all the way down before tossing it on the floor. "You're gonna have a million voicemails later." 

Lance bit his lip, amazed by him and feeling empty just by losing his fingers. "I'll... I'll just delete 'em."

"Mm, I don't know," Keith mused, pouring more lube on his hand to coat his cock with. "I'd like to listen to a few of 'em. They're probably really funny with how angry they'd be." 

"You listen and delete the mean ones and I'll listen to the fun ones." He shifted his hips, watching him with wide eyes. "B-but for now you should... You should take me."

"I will, baby. You just tell me if it's too much or if it hurts at any point, okay?" he requested, shifting closer to position himself at Lance's entrance. He rubbed his cockhead across his hole teasingly for a moment, watching it flutter, before slowly pressing in.

He was instantly bigger than fingers. Lance gasped as his body stretched around the tip, head pressing back against the pillows. He'd been stretched wide enough that he could relax a little, but reached out a hand in search of one of Keith's. "Please. Please- I need to h-hold your hand."

Keith immediately gave him one, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" 

"Uh-huh. I'm- I'm just-" It wasn't overwhelming physically, but emotionally? "I love you. It feels good, and I love you."

Smiling, Keith rubbed his hip. "I love you too, baby. So, so much. Just let me know when you're ready for a little more." 

"I am. You can keep going." Though he was stretched wider than he'd ever been before, he could handle it. The burn was as gentle as Keith's slow slide. "Every inch, mi cielo."

"Every inch," he agreed with a chuckle, and started to slowly press forward again. He paid attention to Lance's body language, pausing when he'd wince and rubbing his thigh when he'd nod, smiling the whole while until he was fully seated. Lance felt impossibly tight around him, so warm and wet from the excessive amount of lube Keith used, but it felt so incredible. Perfect. "Fuck, you're so tight… You feel so good, baby." 

He was so full too, carefully clenching around Keith and moaning softly. It was astounding to be so connected to his lover, unlike anything he'd ever felt. "Eres muy bueno... Y-you're so... so thick." His legs lifted to carefully wrap around his waist, another moan filling the air as Keith shifted inside him. "Bèsame."

Keith echoed his moan, leaning down over him to press their lips together. He dominated Lance's mouth, licking everywhere he could reach as his hips gave shallow, desperate little thrusts forward. 

Lance whimpered, stunned by the movements. He buried a hand in Keith's hair and moved his hips in a testing answer, gasping as sensation scrambled his brain. "O-oh, I- I'm so n-not gonna last." 

"Th-that's okay, baby. You don't need to. We have the rest of our lives together," Keith murmured, pulling out just a little bit farther and then thrusting back in deeper.

Lance cried out, tugging Keith's hair. They had the rest of their lives. Keith wanted him forever and he so wanted the same. "A-again."

Moaning, Keith repeated the movement, pulling out even more every few thrusts until he was practically all the way out before pressing back in. But he kept the pace slow and steady, kissing Lance as they panted into each other's mouths and moved together. "How- How close are you, baby?" he asked after a few more minutes, feeling his own orgasm building. 

He could barely breathe, barely think. Every thrust was better than the last, Keith hitting places and making him feel things he never had before. His sounds were loud and needy, eyes closed tight. He forced them open, the pupils blown so wide and tears gathering in the corners. "G-gonna- _Keith_ -" He came before he could warn him, release streaking up his stomach and a pleasured sob exploding from him. 

The clenching around his dick increased tenfold, Lance's walls fluttering nonstop as he came. It threw Keith over the edge too, plunging deep and coming harder than he ever had before on a groan of Lance's name, even though he was concerned with the crying he could hear in the back of his mind. 

Lance buried his face in Keith's neck, nails biting into his back and clutching his hair as he was flooded. It made him feel even more full, even more overwhelmed, but it wasn't pain or fear in his tears. It was an incredible feeling and he just didn't know how to handle it. 

When he came down enough to finally lift his head, Keith cupped a hand to Lance's cheek and stroked gently under his eye, wiping tears away with his thumb. "You okay, baby?" 

"Y-yeah. It was just- It was so perfect. So much better than I even thought it'd be."

That was a relief. Keith smiled, kissing him lightly. "Yeah? It was… god, it was amazing. You're so perfect and you felt so good. I love you, Lance." 

He let out a watery little laugh, nuzzling into Keith's palm. "That doesn't help me and all my feelings. I love you too."

"Well, wouldn't this be the best time for you to feel those feelings?" 

"I don't like crying when it bothers you."

Keith frowned. "Baby, it doesn't bother me that you cry. Everybody does it, even me sometimes. It will never bother me, okay?" 

It worried him, which was the same thing as bothering in Lance's opinion. But he kissed his palm and nodded. "Okay. But none of these tears are because I'm upset or anything, I promise. I just really love you. And it all has to come out somehow."

"Mmhm. Well, I promise you that it doesn't bother me. It just means you're an emotional person, and I'd rather have that than someone who can't show they care." Keith smiled softly, stealing another sweet kiss. 

Lance stroked his hair, smile as soft and sweet as the kiss. "Mmhm. I really do care."

"I know you do, baby. I really care about you too."

Lance kissed his nose. "You love me."

Keith chuckled. "I do. Very much. And you know what? You love me too." 

Lance's eyes sparkled with it. "Mmhm. You haven't really given me a choice."

"What, to not love me?" 

"Yeah. You've been perfect for me from the first minute."

Keith smiled, big and bright. "So have you, baby. From the very first day. You're just… You're beautiful and smart, funny and really, incredibly sweet. I couldn't imagine now not having you." 

He was too sweet, Lance giving him another kiss. "Well, you definitely have me. I don't think I could move if I wanted to."

"Mm, I bet you could. Especially if I draw you up a nice hot bath."

"That would be really nice. I might move for that if you want to join me in that nice hot bath."

Keith grinned. "Definitely. I'll go start it in a couple minutes. I'm good for right now," he murmured, rubbing Lance's hip and ever so slightly pressing his pelvis closer. 

Lance closed his eyes on a soft gasp. "Y-yeah, you are."

Keith smirked, but couldn't stop his own low moan. "God, you're actually so greedy. I love it." 

"I just- I feel so _full_. It's amazing."

"Mmhm… Just wait til I get you that plug and keep my come in you." 

Lance shivered, clenching around Keith. "I... I r-really want one."

"Fuck," he breathed, feeling the stirrings of arousal again. "I'm gonna get you one. We'll go find one. I need to pick up more lube anyway." 

"I didn't use _all_ of it."

Keith laughed, rubbing their noses together. "I know you didn't, but it's my only bottle for now. I'm gonna grab a few more, maybe a couple edible ones so I can eat you out too." 

Lance blinked, eyes rounding. He _did_ know what that meant. "You... O-oh. Okay."

"Yeah? Is that something you think you'd be into?" Keith murmured, slowly rolling his hips teasingly. 

"O-oh, god... Um..." Every movement was the best kind of torture. "I- I think I'd l-like anything you do with your mouth."

"Mmhm. I'm gonna make you come with just my tongue. Or maybe I'll come inside you first and then eat you out." The imagery that brought to mind was just fueling his current arousal, feeling his dick twitch and harden as he continued to move his hips. 

Lance whimpered, hips shifting in answer. It was so different to feel him hardening, stretching him anew from the inside. The filth spilling from him sounded like honey. "Uh-huh. I want- Either. Both. K-Keith, please."

"Uh-huh… You wanna come again, baby? Want me to fill you up more?" His voice was breathy, beginning to thrust his hips a little faster, deeper. 

He'd already come twice, so sensitivity was heightened and his heart was racing as his hips moved helplessly with Keith's. "Y-yes. Yeah, please, Keith."

"Yeah… I'll take care of you. _Fuck_." To give himself more leverage, Keith pushed up onto his hands, hovering above Lance as he really started to move. The pace was still slow and gentle, wary of hurting him too much, but it allowed them to feel every inch of his dick as he sank back in with each thrust. 

Lance moaned, loud and long as Keith slid deep. His hands slid up Keith's sides, and over his chest, thumbs rubbing his nipples. "It's so- Eres p-perfecto, mi cielo. Más, tan bien."

Keith groaned, pausing for a moment as he shivered, the touch on his nipples catching him off guard in the best way possible, before he was moving in earnest again. "F-fuck, baby… You're so good, such a good boy for me. I love you so much." 

"Soy t-tu chico bueno," Lance managed, amazed that he'd thrown Keith off like that. That he _could_. "Te amo, mi cielo. Soy tuyo."

"Mm… You should- should keep speaking Spanish like that. I love hearing it." Keith smiled at him, leaning down to kiss him quickly, not stopping the thrusts of his hips. 

"Eres perfecto. Eres divino. Qué _rico_ y nadie me lo da como tú. Más, mi cielo." It was nice to be so completely free. His language, his body, his entire _life_. "Mierda," he moaned, grabbing Keith's shoulders and letting his nails bite into his skin. "Te amo."

" _Fuck_. I love you too, baby," Keith murmured, speeding up a little. "You're so fucking _wet_ , still so tight for me."

"Soy tuyo." Lance bucked his hips up, not experienced enough to match Keith's tempo and too close for it to matter for long. "V-voy a venir. I'm g-gonna-" 

"Yeah… Yeah, come for me, baby," Keith urged, balancing himself on one hand to wrap his other around Lance's length to stroke. 

The extra touch made his back bow and his grip tighten as he came an impossible third time. "Keith!" 

Again the tightness around his cock was too much to bear, Keith burying himself as deep as he could and coming. " _Lance_!"

The extra flood made him whine, more and more wet filling him so much he could feel some seeping out. It was wet and messy and _exciting_. Lance shuddered, reaching up to tangle a hand in Keith's hair and pull him down for a kiss that was just as sloppy. 

It was perfect, their tongues tangling together between them as neither one took over the kiss, but they each gave as good as they were getting. Keith collapsed on top of him, boneless in his post-orgasmic state a second time. "Fuck," he breathed, their mouths still close. "I love you so fucking much, Lance." 

Lance shivered, nuzzling into his neck. "I love you too. Te amo también, mi cielo. Mi sol."

"Mm, what's that one mean?" Keith wondered, kissing along Lance's shoulder and collarbone. 

"'My sun.' Since you make everything brighter."

Keith smiled against his skin. "That's so cute, baby." 

Lance giggled softly, stroking his hair. " _You're_ cute. I love you."

"I love you too. More than you'll ever know." 

Lance shook his head. "I think... I think from everything you've done for me, I have a really good idea. And I love you just as much."

Keith lifted his head to smile at him, kissing him quickly. "I'm really glad you do. We're gonna have a really great life together." 

Lance beamed. "Yeah, we are. I'm so happy you're you."

"And I'm so happy you're _finally_ getting to be who _you_ are."

He was. He had a chance to be him without anyone's oppressive expectations. "And I'm- I'm not so bad."

"No, baby. You're amazing." 

He hid his face in Keith's neck, smile bright. "I'm amazing. And so are you."

Keith chuckled. "I'll agree with you on that."

"Mmhm. 'Cause you're a brat."

Keith barked out a laugh. "If anyone here is a brat, it's you." 

He laid back, lashes fluttering innocently. "What do you mean?" 

"That. That right there is what I mean. You may have been sheltered and innocent, but you know exactly what you're doing." 

"Well, you've been teaching me." But Lance ducked his head, biting his lip as he traced the tattoos on Keith's chest. "Will you still love me if I'm a brat?" 

Keith took his other hand, squeezing gently. "Of course I will, baby. Nothing will make me stop loving you." 

"Promise?" 

"I promise. I'll love you forever." 

"I hope so. I don't think something that feels this big should go away."

"Mm-mm. I know it won't."

Trusting him, Lance nodded. "Tomorrow, do you think we can just do nothing? I want to stay home and cuddle and... and maybe more of this."

Keith smiled. "We sure can. We can do anything we want." 

"Yeah. You can listen to all the messages that've been left on my phone." Lance shifted to try and get more comfortable, flinching a little at the mixture of pleasure and pain radiating through him. Maybe twice had been a little much for his first time, but it had felt amazing in the moment. He was going to stay quiet about it, but Keith gave him an arched look. He knew. "Mm... Maybe... maybe you should move?" 

"Mmhm. I'll go start that bath water for us." 

"Okay. It doesn't hurt _that_ bad. It just... surprised me."

"Uh-huh." On the back of that, Keith pulled out tortuously slow, not wanting to cause him one more second of discomfort. As soon as his cocked head was free, his come started oozing out, dribbling down over the pillow and onto the sheets. "And now I'm gonna have to change the bed," he complained, but rubbed Lance's hips. "How're you feeling?" 

"Empty." It was the first word that came to mind, uncomfortably stretched now and feeling the wet mess sliding out made him want to clench and keep it. But he could only turn his head and try to hide his discomfort in the pillow. He just wanted a warm bath and cuddles. 

Keith sighed softly, his hands trailing down to massage Lance's thighs. "I know, baby. The bath will help with that soreness too. And then we'll come back in here and we can snuggle." 

"Okay. When you get me the plug, I won't have to feel empty right after?" 

"Mm-mm. You'll still feel full. It won't be as thick as me, but it won't leave you with what you're feeling now." 

"Mm... Another reason to get one then." Lance offered a small smile to reassure him, reaching out. "Come kiss me before you go."

Keith crawled up next to him, giving him a bright grin before planting his lips on Lance's. His tongue immediately sought entrance into Lance's mouth, tangling with his in a slow, sensual dance. 

It was immediately soothing, just as Lance had hoped. He sighed into it, going pliant beneath him, and letting go as the kiss ended. "Can we have a bubble bath?" 

"Sure, baby. I've got some soap and bath bombs, after I heard you mention them the other day." 

It was exciting news since he'd run out of bath bombs, taking full advantage of access to a nice tub. Maybe now that he knew he lived there, he wouldn't feel the need to take baths quite so often. "Okay. Thank you, mi cielo."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I'll come get you when it's ready." Keith kissed his forehead, smiling down at him, before rolling out of bed and padding off to the en suite bathroom. 

Lance rolled his hips, stretching out his legs. He liked having them around Keith's waist and he liked being full of him. The aftermath left something to be desired, though. He yawned, resting his cheek on Keith's shoulder when he returned and scooped him up. "I've never come three times before. Your hands are magic."

Keith chuckled, shrugging. "I just know how to touch you, is all." 

Lance smiled, kissing his neck. "You really do. You always make me feel good. You liked it too, right?"

"I loved it, baby. And you've got some amazing instincts since you were moving your hips like that. I can't wait to see what you do when you're on top." 

"Riding you?" Cheeks pink, Lance kissed his neck again. "I really want to try."

"Mmhm. You're gonna be amazing, I just know it." When they got into the bathroom, Keith set Lance down next to the tub. "Now go ahead and get in. I think I got the temperature right, but I left room to add more water if needed." 

Lance tested the water with his fingers before climbing in and sinking into the water, moan soft. "It's _perfect_."

Keith grinned, carding his fingers through his hair. "Good," he declared, and then grabbed a washcloth before scooching Lance forward so he could slip in behind him. "This is nice. That bath bomb smells amazing." 

Lance snuggled back, smile soft. "Mmhm. I love it. Did you have a good birthday, mi cielo?"

"I did. It was my favorite birthday. So far." 

"So far?" 

"Mmhm. We're gonna have plenty of birthdays together. Maybe we'll top this one somehow." 

"I know nothing's gonna top mine when it happens." Lance tipped his head, kissing his neck. "Te amo."

Keith cupped his cheek with a wet hand, turning him enough to kiss his lips. "I love you too. I'm gonna make sure you never forget your birthday."

"I know I won't." Lance cuddled close, the warm water soothing sore muscles and Keith's presence a constant balm. He'd never forget this birthday either and it hadn't even been his. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D  
> Also, tw for use of the derogatory F-word

Sunday was spent cuddling and unpacking and organizing, Lance excited now that he realized he actually lived there. He let Keith listen to the messages on his phone, disappearing quickly when Keith's jaw locked and eyes darkened angrily. Some of them were entertaining in their insanity, but most of them were saved to Keith's laptop for use in court if things escalated. The threats were ugly, offensive, and got worse and worse. The phone location was permanently set for the school library, then it was switched off and tucked into a drawer to be forgotten about.

Keith was determined not to let them near Lance again, but didn't realize that they knew where each of Lance's classes were and had a printed copy of his schedule. Had they picked up Lance's old phone Monday night, they would've realized to be a little more wary. But Lance was excited about the ID that had come in the mail with Keith's address and with the change in his program and the safeguards they'd put up. He also told the school about his adoptive parents hanging a curtain in his room, but the holes had been patched well enough that there wasn't a noticeable need to escalate the situation and Lance preferred it stay quiet. The boat had been rocked hard enough to be in danger of sinking and, no matter how much Keith wanted to get him some revenge, Lance was really okay with just having freedom. 

He was smiling when Keith pulled into motorcycle parking, hopping off and removing his helmet when the engine cut off. "So I'll see you for lunch, right?" 

"Definitely," Keith agreed, sliding off the seat and stepping close. His arm wrapped around Lance's waist, planting a firm kiss on Lance's lips. "Any ideas?" 

"I don't have a lot of time between classes, so maybe just the cafeteria?" 

"Okay, that'll work. Maybe we can find somewhere outside to eat." 

"Okay. I like being outside." He lifted up, holding Keith's shoulders as they kissed again. "Do you have time to walk me to class? I'm... I've got my paperwork and I'm kind of... I don't know how to give them to him on my own."

Keith smiled encouragingly. "Of course, baby. I won't let you be alone." 

"Thanks. It might help to have my tutor saying I'm not full of it more than halfway through the semester."

"Yeah, that's true." 

Lance waited for Keith to trade his helmet for his stowed backpack, happily taking his hand so they could head towards the buildings ahead. They didn't make it far through the lot, though, before Lance started to feel uneasy. He shifted closer to Keith, trying to subtly look around. He just felt... weird. A prickling over the back of his neck and a quickening of his pulse. It was a familiar tension, but he didn't see anyone watching them. 

Keith glanced at him, squeezing his hand gently. "You okay?" 

It was probably just nerves, so he shook his head. Then quickly nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Keith arched a brow, stopping and tugging his hand until Lance paused too. "Are you sure? You seem really nervous all of a sudden." 

"I don't know. I just... I think I'm j-just nervous about talking to my professor."

Keith could understand that, but this seemed like something else. The way Lance's eyes continually darted around was proof enough of that. "Okay, if that's all it is…" 

Lance bit his lip. "It's k-kinda like we're being watched, b-but... You... You don't feel it, though, so..."

Well, he hadn't, but as soon as Lance said it, Keith got a tingly feeling on the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if it was just a sympathetic reaction or if he was actually feeling someone watching them, but he gripped Lance's hand a little tighter. "D'you think… Henry and Marcia?" 

"I-I don't know. I don't- I don't know where they are. I don't have m-my old phone."

"It's okay, sweetheart. Let's just keep moving. We're out in public anyway. Not sure they'd want to tarnish their reputation by starting something on campus." 

"Yeah. I'm- You're right. They wouldn't. I'm just imagining it." Hopefully. Lance just stepped closer, letting Keith band an arm around his waist and lead him along. 

The sensation was mostly gone by the time they made it to Lance's accounting class and he managed, despite his discomfort and embarrassment, to explain his dyscalculia while Keith kept a supportive hand against the small of his back and helped confirm the paperwork he had. It came with a note from Lance's guidance counselor and, to Lance's relief, an email had already been sent to this professor and others to modify his paperwork. Numbers on his exams would now be written out and he was handed a stack of modified notes that he hugged to his chest with a bright smile. Accounting had just become so much easier for him and it was thrilling. 

He bobbed up and kissed Keith's cheek once the mini meeting had ended, stopping at the door. "Thank you. I think I'll be okay with my next classes. If something happens or anything, I can text you, can't I?" 

"Of course you can, baby. That's what the phone is for. Anything you need." 

"Okay. And... If you do see Henry and Marcia..."

He nodded. "I won't confront them. They'll have to start anything, but I won't let them get you." 

Lance smiled, reaching up to playfully tug on a lock of Keith's hair. "They won't. Hunk's still got a track on them so maybe he'll know where they are. It's probably work and home like always and I'm just crazy."

"I hope so." 

Lance giggled. "That I'm crazy?" 

"Hmm, just about this." 

"Okay, I'll accept that as a save." He kissed him again, this time quick and sweet on the lips. "Now go on. I don't want you to be really late or anything."

"Eh, I don't care about that so much." Keith smiled, kissing his hand before letting him go. "Text me if you need me. I love you." 

"Te amo también." Lance drew back, comfortably safe in class with more students starting to filter in. He knew some attention was on them and plenty of surprise came with it once they realized it was nerdy Lance standing there in jeans with a sexy punk guy with tattoos and piercings. "I'll see you later."

"Mmhm. Have a good day, baby," Keith murmured, before turning and walking from the room to go to his own class. 

Lance smiled, bouncing over to his normal seat only to find himself actually getting talked to. It was a surprise, but one that made him smile. It was nice to feel accepted and normal. 

Nice enough that he almost didn't notice his adopted parents after class. Marcia's purse gave them away, the clasp of her Birkin catching in the light. He froze, heart and breath both seizing. No. No, no, no. He turned and bolted into an empty classroom, hiding himself in a corner and fumbling desperately for his phone. He had to text Keith, hoping beyond hope that he'd get it soon.

From Lance [09:53]: They're here I need you don't know if they saw me

He had his phone out and in hand, just in case, so saw the desperate text immediately.

From Keith [09:54]: fuck ok where are you

From Lance [09:54]: Across the hall from where I was I just ran my inhalers too loud and I can't breathe

From Lance [09:54]: I think they saw me

From Keith [09:55]: ok just sit tight ill be right there

Lance bit his lip, struggling to get his breath under control when the door opened. He covered his mouth, shuffling further back and hiding behind desks and tables and chairs. 

"Henry," Marcia hissed when he stepped into the room, "what do you think you're doing? This isn't the right room."

"I saw someone come in here. I know it was that little faggot."

From Lance [09:56]: He saw me they're in here please hurry please

 _Fuck_. Keith didn't even bother replying, already running back towards the building and shoving through students. He burst back into the hallway, raced to the room across from Lance's classroom, and threw the door open, panting as he rushed inside. "Lance!"

Three sets of eyes looked at him, two furious and one wet and fearful. Lance yanked his arm to try freeing himself from Henry's tight grip, but to no avail. He was only jerked around when Henry turned, forcibly held behind him.

Marcia's nose lifted. "Excuse you, this is a family matter."

"Then why are you here? You're not his family." Keith glared at them, daringly stepping closer. "So _let him go_." 

"I am his _mother_. I don't know who you think you are, but I will not tolerate this."

"Did he come out of your vagina?" Keith spat, watching shock flit over her features. "Didn't fucking think so. You are _not_ his mother. And _you_ ," Keith rounded on Henry, marching even closer, "are _not_ his father. You both are disgusting monsters who don't deserve to have _any_ children." 

"How _dare_ you?!" Marcia squawked. 

Henry let go of Lance to face Keith squarely, so he quickly scrambled away to grab Keith's arm. Two gazes shifted to him, stealing his breath again but he stayed close to his boyfriend. The door was still open behind them, students peering in as they passed. "I want to go," he whispered. "Let's go. Let's go, please."

"Yup, we're leaving," he agreed, turning to walk out. "Don't fucking follow us or I'm calling the cops." 

Lance wasn't comfortable enough to turn his back on them, watching them carefully as they made their way to the door. When they were out, he very quickly closed it as if that would help and fumbled for his inhaler. "Keith- K-Keith, I can't- I w-wasn't-"

"It's okay, baby, you're okay." Keith helped him get his inhaler, slowing their pace since they were safe in a throng of students. "Just breathe, okay? Deep in and out, and hit your inhaler."

Lance kept looking over his shoulder, but tried his best to calm down as Keith led him farther and farther away. When they finally stopped, he leaned back against a wall and took another deep breath with his inhaler so the medicine could do its job. "Th-they're gonna follow us."

"Let them. We have enough on them to confront them. If they're dumb enough to follow, I'm gonna make sure we're in a wide open space with lots of people so I can spill all their disgusting secrets." 

Lance nodded, but reached into his pocket for keys. "They... They only h-have one Mercedes and h-he... He threw these at me."

Keith arched a brow. "He threw his keys at you? Why?" 

"I t-told him I knew it was m-mine and he said he- He t-told me to drive it if it w-was. I think- I think h-he forgot." Lance bit his lip. He never would've been brave enough to do this in the past. "I w-want to find the car before they do. A-and take it home."

"Yes," Keith agreed immediately. "I'm not worried about my bike, 'cause I can always walk back to get it. But we need to get your car home first." 

Lance nodded, swallowing hard. "They're p-probably near where we parked."

"Let them try and start something with me. I wasn't kidding about calling the cops if shit escalates." 

Though his fingers were trembling a little, Lance cupped his cheek. He didn't want Keith anywhere near them. "They might try to call them on us and say the car's stolen. I'm... That's what I'm counting on. Because it's in _my_ name. That's a false police report and it's all we need. 'Cause what are they gonna do - admit it was fraud?" 

Keith smiled, turning his head to kiss Lance's palm. "We'll just have to see what they're dumb enough to try and pull." 

"Mmhm. Are you sure this is okay? What if they mess up your bike?" 

"If they so much as _look_ at it, I'll sock them in the mouths. I don't think they'd be dumb enough to go after my bike, anyway. Then they'd really have a reason to get in trouble with the cops." 

"Okay. Then let's go before they beat us there."

"Mmhm." Keith leaned in to kiss him before taking his hand again and leading them off to the parking lot. 

"Do you know what we're looking for?" 

"Pidge said it was a blue Mercedes GL… something. I think an E? It's like a cobalt blue." 

"GLS and yeah. It's a really big SUV. I wish I knew the license plate, but the keys click. We can figure it out based on what car turns on when I push the button?" 

"Yeah, that'll work." 

Lance looked around, uncertain what to do. The parking lot was huge and he'd never once been allowed to hold a set of keys. He bit his lip and pressed the button, jumping when a car started up. Right down the same aisle they'd driven right by. Shivering, he handed the keys to Keith. "Do we have time to take all their stuff out? I don't want them to think we stole it."

"I think we have time if we can get it done fast enough." 

Lance nodded, following Keith to the running car. It was big and blue and Lance really had liked it. Now it was a little bit of exciting revenge and would make their lives a little easier. They could take their dog all around and be happy and there were enough safety features to make Lance feel safe. Not that he didn't on the motorcycle, but it was different. Security there came because Keith wore his helmet and he rode like he knew exactly what he was doing. It was hard not to feel safe cuddled close to him too. 

He opened the trunk, unsurprised to find reusable shopping bags. He grabbed them, carrying them to Keith so they could be filled with everything except the vehicle papers. Even the warranty was in his name. He pouted at Keith, sitting in the passenger side with the glove box open. "Why... Why couldn't they just love me? Just a little. They wouldn't be going through this if they'd just... If they'd even _liked_ me."

Lance sounded so utterly defeated and it broke Keith's heart. Why _didn't_ they love him? They'd wanted him. Except, as it turned out, they didn't want _him_. They wanted someone with his Irish name, someone with a skin tone a few shades lighter. It was racist and disgusting, and Keith honestly didn't have an answer for him. "I don't know, baby…" he muttered, reaching over to take his hand. "They're fools for not loving you." 

"Yeah... You love me, though. And everybody at your birthday party liked me. _And_ I made a friend in Hunk before I met you, so... So there's nothing wrong with me." Lance squeezed his hand before letting go to tie off the last shopping bag. "I just wish there wasn't anything wrong with them."

"I know. I wish that too. You deserve a loving family, natural or adopted or married into. You're an amazing person, Lance, and it just sucks that they couldn't see that." 

Married into? Lance slipped out of the car to hide his pink cheeks and left the last bag between the two parking chocks. And then he heard a banshee screech. He'd heard it back home more than once, but never in public. Not once had Marcia ever lost herself that much in a public place.

"You little _bastards_!" she screamed and Lance froze, just watching them come towards him. It was so _angry_. 

He snapped out of it when Keith called out to him, so dropped the bag and scrambled back into the car and yanked at his seat belt. "G-go."

Keith made sure the doors were locked before he put the car in reverse, backing out of the spot and nearly hitting Henry as he stormed up to it. Keith wouldn't have cared, but he really didn't want to get in trouble with the law, so swerved out of the way and flipped him the bird as they made their getaway. 

Lance clutched the seat belt, shrinking back into the seat until Keith evened out. Then he could relax, staring out the windshield and trying not to cry. "She's never screamed at me in public like that before. She usually saves it for home."

"Hmm… That was… not gonna lie, that was pretty terrifying hearing that coming from her. But she also did it in front of a bunch of people. I'm not sure if any of them know her, but…" Keith shrugged, reaching over to lay his hand on Lance's thigh. "I'm not gonna let them hurt you. Not anymore." 

"I don't think any of them know her. Why would they?" Lance looked down at his hand, laying his over it briefly. "I'm glad I have you. You showed up pretty fast. All he did was throw his keys at me and yank me up while she berated me."

"I ran over there. I wasn't very far, and thankfully the campus isn't huge, but… you needed me, baby."

He had and Keith hadn't disappointed. It was amazing to have a person like that in his life. Lance smiled at him. "Thank you, mi cielo. Do you like our new car?" 

Keith glanced at him, grin wide. "It's awesome, actually. I'm gonna have to play around with it to figure out everything, but it looks like they went all out and got the most upgraded model." 

"That wouldn't surprise me. There's a driver massage function too."

"Oh, hell yeah, I'm definitely playing around with this when we've got time."

Lance laughed. "Good. I want to see what all it does too. I think this technically counts as a birthday present, so we should play as much as we want."

"Mmhm. I'm thinking the backseat is big enough to have a little fun back there. We could really make it ours then." 

"Have a little... _Oh_." Lance looked back, then quickly forward with a little giggle. "O-okay."

Keith chuckled, squeezing his thigh. "We're gonna have to get one of those hammocks back there for Kosmo, though. I don't want her nails poking holes in the leather." 

"Mmhm. I want to take her for a ride as soon as everything's safe."

"Me too. She hasn't been on a car ride in… well, since I moved here. She rode in my parents car and we walk to the vet whenever she goes for her check-up." 

"Well, now she has a new way to go to the vet." And there was even enough room for a sister, but he didn't say that part aloud. Keith had done more than enough for him already. "I do have to go back to campus, by the way. I have a test."

Keith nodded. "Alright, baby. I'll get you back there. They obviously didn't follow us and I'm taking a roundabout way to get home, so we can just walk back." 

"Okay." They'd still be there, most likely. Lance could only imagine the storm they were going to cause. Campus security and maybe the police. They'd probably try to go to his dorm, but that was locked and they weren't allowed in. Their RA had gotten the keypad entrance changed so they didn't even know the code to the main entrance anymore, but that wouldn't stop either of them for long. "They still don't know who you are, which is good."

"For now. I really don't give a shit if they do find out who I am. They can't do anything to me anyway."

"But they'll try. I don't want you to get hurt by any of this."

"Baby, the only thing that could get hurt is my fist when I punch them in their throats." He shook his head. "But seriously, don't worry about me. My parents have the best lawyers on the east coast and there's nothing that those two have that they could possibly use against _me_ anyway." 

Lance hummed to himself, hopping out when Keith pulled into his driveway. "Should I get a lawyer? Just in case?" 

Keith shut and locked the doors behind him, coming around the front of the car to pull Lance into his arms. "Ours will represent you. My parents have already offered to cover it." 

That was so nice of them. Lance looped his arms around Keith's neck, kissing him gratefully. "You're so lucky to have a good family, Keith. I really appreciate them."

"They're your family now too. You're a part of it just as much as I am." 

Lance's heart melted. "Eres muy dulce. I love you."

"I love you too, baby. So, so much." 

He knew it. Keith showed him every day. "We should put the car in the garage. I'm gonna go grab my old phone. I'll feel safer if I know where they are since they're desperate enough to come on campus and harass me."

"Okay. Just lock the door. We don't wanna take any chances." 

"I will. That's why I want the car in the garage. They don't know who you are _or_ where you live." Lance smiled, taking Keith's keys and running up the steps. He got what he wanted quickly, but Keith had to come inside when too many minutes ticked by to find him hugging Kosmo and trembling. He looked up, blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "They... They said they're gonna wait at all my classes. I got a text..."

These people were unbelievable. Keith shook his head, dropping down next to them. "Then I'm coming with you. I'll be your personal bodyguard. I don't have anything going on in my classes today so I don't care about missing them." 

"History's the only one that matters today. It's... It's after lunch." Lance went into Keith's lap easily, nuzzling into his neck. "They are gonna call the police. I know it."

"I hope they do. What are they gonna say to them? That we stole 'their' car? That _we're_ harassing _them_? Let them try." 

Lance nodded, a little surprised by how easy it was to blink away the tears. "I want to get back to school and get your motorcycle. Just to move it to a new spot at least." 

Keith kissed his temple. "Mmhm. I don't want them touching my bike. And if they do, or already have, I will take them down." 

"It's bad, but I almost hope they did so we can really get them."

"I know." Keith rubbed a soothing hand up and down Lance's back. "It's not like I can't pay to get it fixed, but it's just the thought of something happening to it, you know?" 

"I know." Lance cupped his cheek, kissing him softly. "I'm ready to go now if you are. I'm not gonna let them make me cry anymore. Maybe. Hopefully."

"Mmhm. Let's get this over with." 

\---

During their walk, Lance sent texts to Hunk and Pidge. Hunk because he was likely going to be in their line of fire and Pidge because she had a place for Hunk to hide in until everything could die down. He wanted to make sure his friends were safe and taken care of and smiled when Keith told him his parents were ready to help, no matter what Lance needed. He loved that they were the types of parents he'd always imagined. Helpful and accepting and just _good_ people. 

Everything his adoptive parents just weren't. It hurt and Lance was sure it would always hurt, but he had to accept it. "Can you only change your name if you get married?" He wondered, taking Keith's hand as the school came into view. 

"Mm-mm. You can get it legally changed whenever you want, I think it's just a bit of a process." 

"Okay. I just... I don't want to be connected to them anymore. At all. I want to be a McClain or..."

Keith arched a brow. "Or what?" 

Cheeks pink, Lance looked down at the sidewalk and tried to match their steps. He wasn't familiar with relationships, but he knew it was fast to ask for Keith's name. He wasn't even sure he wanted it exactly. It was both, though he wasn't sure if Keith would be willing to hyphenate. Asking that went right back to it being too fast. "Mm... Never mind."

Keith just smiled. "Okay, baby. You know I'll help you get it changed to whatever you want." 

Maybe he would. Maybe he'd get brave enough to ask after some time had passed. "Okay."

As they made their way closer, Lance could see red and blue lights in the parking lot. He shifted closer to Keith, heart suddenly racing. "K-Keith..."

Keith squeezed his hand. "It's okay, sweetheart. Everything will be fine. Just stay by my side." 

"But what if they're watching your bike? Talking to the police is gonna take _ages_. I'll miss my test."

"You can make it up, baby. We'll explain it to your professor, okay? It'll be alright," Keith assured him, smiling softly. 

Lance bit his lip, averting his gaze as embarrassment fluttered. He was used to doing well in school, clinging to it as an escape. He'd been determined to flee to college and do well enough to get whatever job he wanted. But maybe talking to the police was a good enough excuse. "O-okay. So... we can't just avoid them?" 

"We'll try, baby. Let's duck around this way and go around." 

"Okay." Lance clung to him, keeping close as they adjusted their course. "I think... I think it'd be suspicious if we moved the bike, don't you? Like... Like we know we've done something wrong, but we didn't. It's- It's my car. You caught all the payments up last night and I have the insurance on my phone a-and my ID and the registration they have is wrong now. So if they ask, I was letting them borrow it? M-maybe?"

"No. Don't lie to them. Your _parents_ bought a car in your name without your knowledge. We have proof of everything, on several flash drives because I'm paranoid. We're gonna tell them what happened." 

Lance wrung his hands together. "So we're going to tell the police the _truth_?" 

Keith arched both brows at him. "You want to _lie_ to the _police_? You do want to be a lawyer, right? You don't lie to the police." 

"Well..." Okay, when he put it like that, it sounded stupid to lie. He just wasn’t used to actively getting anyone in trouble. "You... You might need to ask about that lawyer. This is... gonna be messy."

"My parents said they've got one on standby. They'll be ready when we are." 

"Okay. Can we at least say that we found the paperwork in their safe so Pidge won't get in trouble?" 

"Yes, of course. I don't think they can prove that they didn't have it in there, anyway." 

"Right." So one lie, but mostly truth. "Then... Let's just go to your bike. I w-want to get this over with."

Keith smiled, squeezing his hand gently. "Alright, baby, if you're sure. Let's go." 

He wasn't sure, but he couldn't hide forever and he really would rather get this over with. He held Keith's hand, holding his arm as they made their way through the parking lot. Where the SUV had been, a police car sat. An officer was standing near Marcia and Henry and Lance could _hear_ her nasty proclamations of theft and ingratitude. There was another officer near Keith's motorcycle, talking into a radio. Lance didn't even want to step closer, but she looked up as they drew nearer and he knew there was no going back. 

"Hi, there. Where were you two just after ten this morning?" she asked, and Lance hid his face against Keith's shoulder. 

Keith let him hide for now, addressing the officer. "Just after ten? We were right here in the parking lot. That's my bike." 

Lance bit his lip, cuddling closer when Keith's arm wrapped around him. "Mmhm."

Both brows lifted as she hooked her radio to her belt. "Really? Were you driving this motorcycle this morning? Around eight?" 

"Yes, ma'am, we were coming to class." 

"I see. Well, the driver of this motorcycle is suspected of coercion and auto theft. So-" 

"Coercion?" Lance interrupted, shrinking back when her gaze turned to him. 

"It means he's suspected of pressuring another individual to commit a crime. Now, do you mind answering a few questions?" 

Keith shook his head. "What do you need to know, officer?" 

"Can I get your name and ID?" She looked at Lance, still trying to appear as small as possible. "And yours." Her expression had softened a little, but Lance was still nervous as he reached into his pocket for the pretty galaxy wallet Keith had gotten him on their first trip to the mall and nervously handed Keith his new ID so he could pass them both over. "Thank you, Mr... Kogane." She arched a brow at Lance's surname and he bit his lip when she looked at him again. "Now the vehicle in question is a blue Mercedes GLS. Do you know anything about that being driven out of this parking lot?" 

"It's m-mine," Lance managed. "It's- I h-have the updated registration a-and insurance. I-it's in my n-name. And K-Keith's on the insurance. I- We c-can show you. I- We didn't steal it. We d-didn't steal anything. We l-left all their stuff in the spot a-and they saw us when- They saw us d-drive away. B-but it's m-my car."

She seemed surprised that he'd said so much in one go, so Lance just hid against Keith's side again and her attention shifted. "But you did drive it away?" 

"Yes," Keith answered simply. "But, because it's his, it doesn't count as stealing, correct?" 

"We'll need to see the registration and insurance on it and see if it matches. What happened to your arm there?" 

That was directed at Lance, who quickly tried to hide the obvious purpling handprint on his arm. "I... I, um... I was t-trying to hide... B-but..." That didn't make any sense, so Lance ducked his head and trailed off. 

Keith sighed softly, rubbing Lance's hip. "Those are his adopted parents," he started, realizing this was going to be a lot messier than he thought. "They've been abusing him for years, both physically and verbally. The bruises are from that man over there. They came here to… well, I don't know what they thought they were going to do. They're mad because he's dating me, another man. He was trying to hide from them because they were going to hurt him."

"Is that true?" Lance nodded weakly. "Alright. We'll get that vehicle checked out if you can provide the registration and insurance. I see you're over eighteen, so it's your call. Are you going to file assault charges?" 

Lance's heart fluttered. "W-what?" 

"Those bruises look like misdemeanor assault to me."

Lance looked up at Keith, eyes round and wide and uncertain. "Um..."

Keith pressed a kiss to his forehead. "It's up to you, baby, but I would definitely press charges against them. They've done this to you for too long now." 

"O-okay." Lance reached into his pocket to pull out his new phone and there was a scream from across the parking lot. 

"There you are!" Lance fumbled his phone, but managed to get the insurance app up. The registration was in his satchel. The screaming continued. "Arrest him! Arrest them _both_ this instant! Why are you just _talking_ to them?!" 

The officer ignored Marcia, taking what Lance offered and calling into dispatch. She confirmed the details on Keith's motorcycle too, nodding to herself when dispatch confirmed their side of the story. "So the change on your license and registration are pretty recent."

"I- I j-just moved in with K-Keith."

"Okay. Did you take the vehicle to your residence?" 

"Yeah, it's parked in the garage." 

"Alright. I'll have to ask my partner to confirm, but they've already stated that nothing was stolen but the vehicle. If you'd like, I can take your statement here and we'll let the two of you go for now."

"Mm, would it be possible to take our statements away from those two?" Keith asked, eyeing them warily. 

She nodded, calling a code into her radio. She and her partner both pulled out their handcuffs. "Please wait here," she instructed while Marcia's triumphant sounds turned into indignation when her arm was grabbed and her rights rattled off. Henry decided to be more difficult, running straight for Lance and Keith until he was tackled to the ground by the other officer and cuffed, hauled up, and shoved into the police car over his infuriated protests. 

The backseat rattled with the two of them thumping and bouncing around, their anger muffled and their vision blocked when the male officer put his butt on the window. The female officer returned, two clipboards retrieved from the front seat. "Here you go. Just write what occurred this morning up until just now. Any other pertinent details would be great, though you'll likely be called to provide more information later. We can meet you at home or the station, whatever ends up being convenient."

Keith took his clipboard, trying not to smile at the sounds coming from the police cruiser. "Okay. If you needed to see the car or anything, the house I rent is literally two minutes from here." 

"We'll let you know."

Lance stared at the clipboard, quickly writing down what had happened. He'd refused to return mean phone calls and texts, had come to class like normal, he'd seen them and hidden in the classroom across the hall, Henry had thrown keys at him, grabbed and jerked him around and threatened him, then Keith had shown up. They'd emptied the vehicle of everything but the necessary documents in the glove box and had driven off. Then they'd come back and Marcia had shouted and Henry had tried to attack them again. Easy. 

But his hands were trembling, eyes darting from the vehicle to the officer over and over again as he hesitated to hand the clipboard over. "Keith, they're... They're j-just gonna say I'm lying."

"Do they have proof?" Keith asked gently. "How are they going to prove it? _You_ have the registration and insurance. You have the bruises on your arm, which would absolutely match up to Henry's hand. And I'm sure, if it comes to it, that either the school has cameras out here or someone on campus here took a video. They can say anything they want, but they have nothing to back it up. "

The officer didn't say anything, but she smiled encouragingly and Lance handed the clipboard over. "Thank you. I'll need to take a few pictures of those bruises. Are there any others?" 

"Mm-mm. The ones from the other week are gone already."

Her brows arched as she retrieved a camera. "Excuse me?" 

"Um."

Keith looped his arm around Lance's waist again, tugging him close. "They came and dragged him back to their house a couple weeks ago. Henry gave him bruises all over his chest and back, and some on his arms. Lance didn't want to do anything at that time because we didn't have anything to prove us right. Until now." 

"Did anyone else see those bruises?" 

"N-no. I... I d-don't tell people."

"Okay. We'll take these two to the station and be in touch." She took out her camera and a measuring tape, snapping a few pictures and continuing to chat with them until she'd finished. "You two have a good day."

"Thanks, you too," Keith replied, smiling once the male officer moved away from the car. Just to fuck with them, he cupped Lance's cheek and turned him in for a kiss. 

Lance, clueless about the ulterior motives, reached up to slip a hand into Keith's hair and kissed him back. He just wanted the familiarity and comfort of his boyfriend's nearness. 

Keith's smile didn't die in the kiss as he heard the shouting escalate inside the car until he pulled away. He stayed close, resting their brows together. "I love you, baby." 

"Te amo también, mi sol. That... That wasn't as scary as I thought it'd be."

"Mm-mm. I told you it'd be alright." 

"Yeah. I need to tell Hunk and Pidge that they got arrested and- Oh! I'm not gonna miss my test! Oh. Should I have given them my old phone? I don't need it."

"Hold onto it for now, baby. We can hand it in later, but we'll definitely need it for the court case we're gonna open up." 

"Okay. They'll probably just take a plea deal."

"Well, we'll see what happens." Keith kissed his forehead. "But I'm proud of you, baby. You did great." 

"I just... I hope they get a deal so I don't have to testify or anything, but if they do... If they do, it'll be like practice. Right?" 

"Mmhm. Just think of it that way if they don't take a deal, okay? But I'm sure it'll all work out." 

"Mmhm. I hope so. The cops didn't seem so bad."

Keith grinned. "Nah, they're fine, especially when they're on your side." 

"Marcia always said they wouldn't believe me because I'm..." He gestured to himself, shrugging. "But they weren't mean at all."

"They can be sometimes, I think, but usually only towards criminals. You're not a criminal, sweetheart, nowhere close to one." 

Lance bit his lip. "We did kinda steal a car today."

"But it's _your_ car," Keith pointed out. "We did nothing wrong." 

Lance giggled. "You just want me to be a bad boy like you."

Keith smirked. "Maybe I do. I think it'd be fun if you were a bit of a bad boy. But I love you the way you are." 

"Maybe I'll be a little bad for you if you teach me something." Lance leaned up for another kiss, playfully nipping his bottom lip. "I want to make you happy."

"Mm, I will definitely have to teach you something naughty then." 

"Yeah? What?" 

"Hmm… I'm not sure yet, but I think it'll be something involving your mouth." 

"Oh." Lance wet his lips. "I- I'd like to use my mouth on you more."

Keith squeezed him. "I'd like that a lot." 

"You've definitely earned whatever you want after today. And it's not even lunch."

"And you don't have to miss your test. We should definitely do dinner tonight somewhere, to celebrate." 

"Can it be somewhere... Somewhere I can wear one of my skirts at?" 

Keith grinned. "Yes, of course, baby. We'll go somewhere really nice." 

"I don't have any _nice_ skirts."

"Mm, then we'll have to go shopping for one."

Lance giggled, breaking away from him just far enough to take his hand. "Okay. I like shopping with you. And we have a big car so I don't have to wear it on your bike!" 

Keith chuckled, swinging their arms. "Yup! A big car with two rows in the back. Plenty of room for shopping bags." 

"More room for you to spoil me." Lance kissed his hand. "And Kosmo. I want to go to a pet store with her and let her pick out whatever she wants."

"That sounds like an amazing idea." And he could pick up some things for the new puppy. 

"I thought it was." Lance paused with a little hum. "I guess that's what you want to do for me when we go shopping, isn't it?" 

"Yup. That's exactly what we're gonna do."

Lance smiled. "Not tonight. I want to find one very nice outfit, go out somewhere very nice, and then come home so you can be very nice to me in bed. I'll let you take me real shopping after we know if they're going to jail or not."

"That sounds like an even better plan." Smiling, Keith squeezed his hand. "But first, your test. I know you're gonna ace it." 

"I think so. I haven't studied at all this weekend, but I think I've got it. I studied before."

"Yeah, plus you're really smart, baby. Smarter than me, for sure."

"I don't think so. I think you're really smart, mi sol."

"Well, in math, maybe. But I'm not so great in anything else, really." He shrugged. "But I don't really need to be, do I?" 

"You're great with me. You always seem to know what I need even before I know I need it." 

Keith's smile turned slightly shy. "I just _get_ you. I think it's different." 

"No, I still think it's a kind of smart. It's so hard to understand people." Lance stopped and bobbed up to kiss his cheek. "You're good to me and you're good for me. You've been teaching me more than just math, so never think you're not smart."

Keith actually blushed, pink tinging his cheeks. "Thank you, baby. You might not see it, but you've been teaching me things too." 

He couldn't imagine what, but happily kissed both of Keith's cheeks. "I love you, mi sol."

"I love you too, sweetheart. I'm so happy everything seems like it's gonna work out."

So was Lance. He hopped up, wrapping his arms around Keith's neck and pressing their cheeks together for a tight, happy hug. Everything _was_ going to be fine. They'd see to that together.


	13. Chapter 13

The days passed easily that week, safe and sound and happy. They talked to the police twice, a hearing was set to decide bail, and Lance really felt as if he could just relax for the first time in his life. Whatever bail was, they wouldn't be able to afford it. Their debts were too high, according to Pidge. There were still one or two nights where a nightmare would scare him awake and he'd be so embarrassed each time and there were still moments where he'd try to find and cuddle with Kosmo when he just needed a minute to give something love but didn't want to bother Keith. 

He knew Keith never considered him a bother, but Lance was still trying to be really respectful of him when he knew he was studying. He was in a lot of math classes, which all sailed right over Lance's head, so he didn't want to be a hindrance in any way when he already knew Keith had devoted so much time to him. He was so generous and sweet and... 

And he wasn't in the parking lot Friday after class. Lance bit his lip, gazing at the message asking him if he would be okay walking home. Keith had needed to get home early for something, though Lance couldn't imagine what. And of course he'd said he could walk, but he didn't want to. His science class had stressed him out and he ached for a hug and some affection. 

He still made the short trek, head ducked and fingers wrapped tightly around his satchel strap. He wanted to get home as fast as possible, so walked as quick as he could without running, and pulled out his keys as soon as his feet hit the driveway. He loved having his very own key. It really cemented that this was indeed home. 

He jabbed it into both locks and stepped inside, toeing off his shoes and hanging up his bag. "Keith?" he called, a little uncertain when he wasn't immediately greeted by dog or boyfriend. "K-Keith?" he tried again, reaching into his pocket for his phone. 

From Lance [16:17]: Are you home

From Keith [16:17]: backyard baby come outside

Frowning, Lance walked across the house to put on his backyard shoes, still trying to get used to the fact that he had two whole pairs of sneakers. He stepped onto the back porch, smiling when he finally got his normal doggy greeting. "Hey, perrita. Hi." He crouched down, but couldn't quite get the hug he wanted with Kosmo as excited and wiggly as she was. "Hi, perrita. Te amo. You're so pretty. Hi."

She licked his face a few times, jumping around in a circle before she bounded off around the corner to the other side of the house. 

Lance cocked his head to the side, but followed after her. "Keith?" 

"Yeah, over here, baby. Keep following Kosmo. I have a little surprise for you." 

"You always have surprises for me." But they weren't usually outside. Lance walked around the corner and almost missed it. A little bundle of black and white curls scampering around Keith's feet and tripping over its own paws. "Oh my god, _Keith_."

He looked up at Lance, a bright grin on his face. "Yeah, what's up?" 

Lance pressed his palms to his cheeks, unsure what to do. Kosmo stole over and happily rubbed her nose against the puppy and it tumbled over and it was the cutest thing Lance had ever seen in his entire life. "It's a _puppy_."

Keith laughed, carefully stepping over the two dogs to stand next to Lance. "Mmhm, and she's yours."

"What do you mean?" 

"She's yours. She's your puppy, baby. You just have to name her." 

Lance's breath hitched. He had a puppy. "I- She didn't come with a name?" 

"Well, right now it's Havana. The litter was all named after Cuban cities and towns." 

"And she's the main one? I can't change that." Lance crouched down when she hopped over, bundling her and all her softness in his arms. "Oh, no, she's so cute. Hi, princesita. Havana pequeña." He stood, scratching her under the chin and kissing the top of her head. "Keith, she's so sweet..."

She really was, and Lance looked so sweet holding her. "Yeah… She's really cute too, almost as cute as you." 

Lance kissed his cheek, tears clinging to his lashes. "She's much cuter than me. Is she- She looks like a Havanese."

Keith smiled. "Yeah, she is. You loved Luna, so I wanted to get you one." 

"Ay, mi cielo, te amo mucho. You didn't have to do that." He nuzzled into her, stress just melting away as he was able to just cuddle this bundle of sweetness. She was his to soak up all the love he had to give. "She's so little."

"Mmhm." Keith wrapped his arms around Lance's waist, holding him at a safe distance to not squish the tiny pup between them. "I think she's the perfect size for you." 

"What, you get the big wild dog and I get the tiny sweetheart?" 

"Well, I thought you'd appreciate a dog who could fit in your lap without crushing you." Keith chuckled. "Plus, Kosmo needed a sister." 

"She _does_. I was gonna ask you to get her one." Lance tucked the wiggly little girl under his chin, giggling as she happily licked him. "And I really do like that I can pick her up and cuddle whenever."

"Mmhm, that's just what I wanted. I noticed that whenever you're worried or stressed or sad, you hug Kosmo, but it's a little awkward 'cause she's so big." 

Lance nodded. "It is a little. But she tries. She's a good girl, and I love her. But she's definitely yours first."

"That's why I wanted to get you this little girl. She's yours, baby. Ours, but she's yours." 

Lance kissed his cheek. "Thank you, mi sol. She's my favorite present so far."

Keith smiled, pressing his own kiss to Lance's lips. "I thought she would be." 

Smile bright, Lance stepped back to set Havana back down. She ran in a little circle, tripping right over his shoe and going tumbling end over end. Kosmo barked at her, her tail wagging wildly, and the puppy yipped and ran over when Kosmo laid in the grass to get to the puppy's level. "Can we take her to the pet store? Both of them?" 

"Yup. She needs a collar and leash and everything. I didn't get her anything 'cause I wanted you to be able to pick it all out for her." 

Lance nodded, rising again to wrap his arms around Keith's neck and seal their lips together in an excited kiss. "Thank you. Really. I love her so much, as much as I love you. I have absolutely no clue how to raise a pet, but I'll do my best."

"I know you will, baby. I'll be here to help you too. And she'll learn a lot from Kosmo." 

"Our fluffy dropout," he teased. 

Keith laughed, kissing the tip of his nose. "At least she's cute. And she is a good girl. Havi will be just fine with Kosmo for an older sister." 

Lance giggled. "Havi?" 

"What? That's what the breeder nicknamed her."

"That's so cute. I like it. I like her. She's all black and white like a cute little cow."

Keith chuckled. "She is like a little cow. I'm just really glad you like her." 

"I love her, Keith. I can't believe you got me a _puppy_. Something I get to love and take care of and- and this _so_ makes up for my really bad day in science and having to walk home all by myself."

"I'm sorry you had a bad day, baby. But I'm glad she makes you happy. She pottied already, so we can take her inside if you wanna go lay down on the couch." 

"No, I want to take her to the pet store and get her everything she needs to be happy with us." He gasped. "Can I get her one of those name tags with sparkles on it?" 

Keith laughed and kissed him again. "You can get her anything you want, sweetheart." 

"Then let's go! My girl can't be running around without a collar and her tags." Lance bit his lip, hips swaying a little. "Can I get her a dress?" 

"Yes, of course. We'll get her a few, and a sweater for the winter." 

Lance grinned, bouncing in place and keeping close to his boyfriend. "I can't wait. I want her to be happy, Keith. I want to do a good job."

"You will, baby, 'cause I'm gonna help you out. She'll be so loved and so happy, I just know it." 

"Like Kosmo is. She's being so good with my little Havi."

"Mmhm, she really is. I didn't think she wouldn't be, but she's being really gentle. They're both good girls." 

"Yeah, they are." Lance kissed him soundly. "Thank you. I don't think I can say it enough. She- She already makes me feel like the dogs did at the orphanage? I- Maybe that's a lot to put on a puppy, but she helps me breathe. Like you do."

Keith nodded, squeezing him closer. "They've got classes we could sign her up for at the pet store to get her certified as an emotional support dog. We could do that for her." 

Lance bit his lip. "C-can we?" 

"Mmhm. I'll ask about it while we're there." 

"Okay. I'd really like that. And I wouldn't even use it to take her everywhere. I just- Just at home."

"I know, baby, but at least you'd be able to if you needed to take her somewhere." 

"Mmhm. And if she drops out like Kosmo did, that's okay. She's still my sweetie."

"Yup, but I know she'll be amazing." 

Lance kissed him one more time before spinning away. "Come on, puppies. Kosmo, do you want to go for a walk?" She scrambled for the porch, knowing just what that meant. Little Havana was sweetly clueless, much like Lance himself most times. He swept her up, ready to give her all the love and affection Keith had been giving him. "That's a good thing, mi princesita. You'll learn like the good girl I know you are. Keith has very good taste."

"Hmm, I'd like to think so," he teased, bumping Lance's hip with his own. 

"You know you do. You picked me, and I don't think I'm very bad at all."

Keith smiled softly. "You're amazing, baby, and I love you so much." 

"Te amo también, mi sol." He carried Havi around the house and up the porch steps, murmuring to her in soft Spanish with Keith right by his side. "She's gonna have to learn how to use the puppy door too."

"Yeah, but I think she'll learn that from Kosmo. It shouldn't take her too long. She seems like a really smart girl." 

"Mmhm." Lance smiled as she relaxed in his arms, too little to not be tuckered out after a busy afternoon of adoption and playtime. "Why did you pick her?" 

Keith shrugged. "She was off by herself, looking sad and lonely. I took one look at her and her ears perked right up and her tail started wagging. I knew right then that she was the one." 

"Oh, poor baby." Lance kissed her head again. "Don't worry, princesita. You never have to be lonely here, I promise. I'm not."

Keith smiled, kissing Lance's cheek. "And you never have to be again." 

"Mmhm. Me and my sweetie." Kosmo was waiting for them by the door, her harness and leash right in front of her. She may have failed out for being too nice, but she was still smart. "You don't think she's gonna feel jealous of Havana, do you? Because I still love her just as much."

"Nah. She'll be jealous to start out just because Havi will need some extra special attention, but she'll be fine in the end." 

Lance nodded. "Okay. Maybe when we take her to training school, our trainer can tell us how to minimize that?" 

"Yeah, we'll ask if they've got any tips for us. Shouldn't be too bad." 

Lance nodded, beaming. "I hope so." He tucked Havi into Keith's arms and crouched down to put Kosmo’s harness on her. "You be a good sister, okay? Mi perrita dulce."

She let out a soft woof, licking his face when her head was through the harness. Keith chuckled, scratching Havi behind the ear. "She will be." 

"Uh-huh." Lance rose, holding Kosmo’s leash and smiling at his boyfriend holding a little black and white puppy. His heart filled, absolutely awed by how much love he could feel all at once. "Te amo mucho, mi cielo. I'll never love anybody else like this."

Keith smiled, stepping closer for a kiss and to pass off Havi. "I know what you mean. I feel the same way about you, baby." 

Lance traded puppy for leash, holding her against his heart. "I know. You got us a fur baby."

"I did. A really cute one to help you when you feel sad or lonely."

Lance nodded. "I really appreciate that you'd think to get me a little one like her. I love how much you show you care."

"And I care about you a lot. I'll never stop showing you how much." 

Lance didn't doubt it, happily following Keith to their car. Kosmo hopped in, tail beating the side of the hammock they'd installed in the backseat to help keep her safe and secure when they were driving around. He kept Havi in his lap, stroking her gently. Unlike Kosmo’s tendency to walk from side to side, head poked out a different window every few minutes, the puppy just melted in Lance's hold and seemed just fine to let him pet her. It was soothing for him, helping him forget his normal tension in the car. He couldn't hold Keith's hand because he was driving and Kosmo was too busy and behind him, so she was perfect for him. "Mi princesita dulce," he murmured, smiling down at her. "She needs a little hair bow."

Keith laughed, shaking his head fondly as he turned a corner. "She can have anything she wants, and anything you want to get her, she can have. She's gonna be as spoiled as Kosmo." 

"Good. I love her. I love both of them."

"I know you do, sweetheart. I love them too. And you." 

"Y tú." Lance looked up when the car stopped, blinking in surprise. "Oh. We're here already? That seemed so fast."

Keith chuckled, unbuckling his seatbelt and leaning over to kiss Lance's cheek. "Yup. My house is pretty close to everything, thankfully." 

But Lance normally noticed every second of the drive. He watched every other car, especially when they drove up right behind Keith. That hadn't been the case this time and he had the little puppy in his lap and the man who'd put her there to thank. "Yeah. Do you think your parents will like Havi?" 

"I know they will. My dad especially. He just really loves dogs." 

Lance giggled. "We don't have dogs. We have a pretty little princess and a queen."

Keith laughed. "I like having royalty in the family." 

Smiling, Lance hopped out of the car and scratched Havi behind the ear as she sniffed the air curiously. "Yeah, mi princesita, we're somewhere new. You just take a puppy nap and get spoiled. That's all you have to do in your very hard life."

"Oh, it's so hard," Keith teased. "She's got such a rough life." 

Lance giggled, kissing his cheek when he walked close enough with Kosmo. "Just the worst."

Keith laughed, hooking his free arm around Lance's waist. "Terrible. She's gonna _hate_ living with us." 

Lance leaned into him as they walked into the pet store, kissing the top of Havi's head. "As much as Kosmo does. Right, perrita?" 

She barked excitedly, but didn't bother turning to look at them, tugging at the leash, though Keith held her steady. "Oh yeah, she hates it so much." 

"Mmhm." Lance loved how excited she was to be around all the new sights and smells. The puppy he carried was either too tired to feel that same excitement or already too well-behaved. Her ears were perked and she was sniffing the air and looking around, but she wasn't trying to wiggle free. "I want to find her a little bed. So we can put that and her in the cart. I'll push and you can focus on Kosmo."

Keith chuckled, leaning in to kiss Lance's temple. "Sounds good. It needs to be a nice bed, though. We're not getting her one of those uncomfortable cotton-filled beds. Memory foam or nothing at all." 

Lance laughed. "You're so extra, but okay. Only the best for our princesita."

"Only the best for all of us, baby. We all deserve it." 

"Is that why I got the best puppy ever?" 

"Yes," Keith answered immediately, smiling softly. "Now let's get a cart so little Havi can rest." 

Lance shifted her to one arm so he could push the cart to the beds waiting on the far wall. Kosmo sat obediently when told, so Lance bundled Havi into his arms and started to search for the best pet bed he could find. He wanted it to be soft and cute and comfortable and there was a nice little blue one that matched Kosmo’s back home. It was an easy choice, so he tucked it into the basket and settled Havi right on it. "What do you think, princesita? ¿Es suave?" She curled up, head not quite able to peek over the edge, but she let out a little woof and closed her eyes. "I think that's a yes."

Keith grinned, cupping Lance's cheek and pressing a kiss to his lips. "I think so too. She's so cute in that little bed." 

"Mmhm. She needs a toy that's as soft and sweet as she is. And a chew toy for those sharp baby teeth. And some clothes and a few regalos. Kosmo needs a new toy too."

"We're gonna load this cart up with stuff, sweetheart. They're gonna be the most spoiled puppies on the planet. But what are regalos?" 

Lance giggled. His Spanish was so awkward and flat. "It starts with a T and makes Kosmo go crazy."

"T… Oh! Okay, yeah, let's not say that word right now." 

"It's technically more gift than T-word? The real thing is a little long to say since your Spanish is... unique."

Keith laughed. "I think that's just a nice way of saying bad, but okay." 

"Maybe." Lance smiled, taking hold of the cart so they could keep exploring. "What does she need that's practical? I know all the fun things I want her to have, but she needs actual _stuff_ too."

"Mmhm. We'll need to get her a harness, collar, and leash, some shampoo for her kind of fur. She needs her own food, for sure. She can't share Kosmo’s. And her sparkly name tag." 

Lance nodded. "Why can't she share Kosmo’s food?" 

"Puppies need a little bit more nutrients than adults do. Plus, she's a small dog and there's food formulated specifically for smaller dogs." Keith smiled, reaching into the cart to stroke down her back. She blinked open one eye and yawned before settling back down. "We'll get her what she needs. The brand of food I get Kosmo has a small dog formula too, so we don't have to worry about upset tummies if either of them get into the other's food." 

"Okay. So that should be easy. I'm gonna have to move her bed up to the top part of the basket so all this fits."

"Or we'll just get another cart," Keith suggested. 

"Will you be able to push a cart _and_ hold Kosmo?" 

"Yeah, it'll be fine. She's a good girl, she just gets excited." 

"Okay." Lance knew she was good, but they hadn't taken her to an actual store together yet. So Keith would know how well she behaved a lot better than he did. "Well, let's fill up this cart around her first. With all the soft things."

"Definitely. Let's go look at toys first, then. She can chew on one while we're shopping if she wakes up." 

Lance laughed. "Yeah. I still can't believe she's real. My own little Havana Havanese."

Keith cupped the back of his neck, twirling the short locks of hair there around a finger. "She's definitely real, baby, and she's all yours." 

Lance stopped and turned into him, cupping his cheek and pressing their lips together. "Because of you being the best person ever."

Keith smiled softly, rubbing their noses together. "Only for you and our girls. I love you." 

"I love you too." He wanted a forever with him and their pets. Maybe, in the future, an actual kid if Keith wanted that. Lance knew he did, but that was a future hope. "You're definitely the best for me." The only. 

Keith felt the same way, and he already had plans to ask him to make it a more permanent situation, but it would take a few more weeks to get everything settled. He wanted to just do it now, but it had to be perfect. "And you're the best for me, baby."

Lance was really starting to believe that. Keith wasn't letting him doubt it. Beaming, he practically bounced through the aisles picking out cute and important things. He wanted to make sure this little life he was in charge of was as happy and loved as he was only just beginning to feel. She'd never have to go a day wondering why she didn't matter. She just _would_. Just like Kosmo. They both ended up with treats and toys and they did end up with a second cart for food and a Havi-sized training crate. Which, of course, meant another bed to go in it. 

At the tags, Lance debated for a few minutes before selecting a blue, sparkling heart. Both his and Keith's phone numbers were punched in with her name. Havana "Havi" Kogane-McClain. He hesitated over the last name. It hadn't been his in a long time and he still hadn't talked to Keith about one day hyphenating their names, but he only had one chance for Havi's tag and it was what he wanted. So he let the engraving start, watching in fascination as lasers cut through metal. He bit his lip when Keith returned to his side, yet another bag of treats placed in the cart, and offered the tag. "What, um, what do you think?" 

Keith read it, his smile widening and softening, and pressed a kiss to Lance's lips. "It's perfect. I love it." 

"I'm glad." So very glad. "Did you get her all signed up for classes?" 

"Mmhm. She has to do the puppy training class first before she can get into the advanced class, but we'll take her to all of them." 

"Okay. I think she'll be just fine." There was a soft little squeak, Lance looking into his cart to see the puppy squeaking a new pumpkin-shaped toy. "She's awake just in time for us to pay and go."

"Yup. Maybe she'll keep chewing on this toy in your lap on the drive home."

"Maybe. I'm glad she likes it."

"Me too. Hopefully those razors that are her teeth right now are gonna get grinded down a little bit." 

Lance laughed. "Are they really bad?" 

Keith held out his hand to show him tiny, red scratches all over his fingers. "Just a little." 

"Aw, mi cielo." Lance took his hand, kissing the palm. "I think you'll be okay."

Keith chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll be fine. I am gonna get her some mint bones. They don't sell them here, though, so maybe later." 

"Okay. Maybe during her next nap?" 

"Yeah, definitely. It won't take that long."

"Good because I don't want to be away from her for a _minute_. I'm so glad it's Friday. I'm gonna feel so bad Monday."

Laughing, Keith kissed his cheek. "She'll be alright, baby. Kosmo will take good care of her." 

"Can we come home during lunch to see her?" 

"Of course we can."

"Okay. I'm still not looking forward to it, but we've only got two more weeks before Thanksgiving break and then I can spend every day with her and you and Kosmo."

"Mmhm. And we’ll be going to my parents’ house for dinner this year." 

"Okay. It'll be nice to spend it with them. I've never really... I've never really liked Thanksgiving, I guess. I think it'll be different to actually share with people who care about me."

Keith smiled sadly, but pressed a kiss to his cheek. "We do all care about you, baby. It'll be a great day full of food and fun." 

"Mmhm. I hope so." Lance pushed his cart to the register, smile bright. "Come on. Let's get our girls back home."

"Yeah, someone seems like she's ready to play again." Keith grinned and started setting the small stuff up on the counter, and tipped the larger things so the cashier could ring it all up. The total was in the triple digits, but Keith didn't care as he passed over his credit card, loading the bags into his cart. "Alright," Keith declared when he slipped his wallet back into his pocket. "Let's get these two home." 

Lance was more than happy to oblige, holding Havi and her bed in his lap as they made their way home. "We should have Hunk and Pidge over tomorrow or Sunday so they can meet her," he decided, happily setting her in their backyard to frolic and hopefully pee. 

"Yeah, that'll be fun. We can have game night when she gets too tired to play anymore," Keith suggested, watching as she stopped running suddenly to squat and pee. "Good girl." 

Lance beamed. "She _is_. And that sounds like a lot of fun."

"Then I'll text them when we get back inside and see if they've got any plans." 

"I hope they don't. It's pretty short notice, though. Havi, you're gonna make more friends!" Clueless, she yipped happily and ran off, tripping over Kosmo’s paws. 

Keith laughed, sitting down cross-legged in the grass near the patio. Kosmo hopped up and bounded over, nearly knocking him down in her excitement. "Kosmo!" he complained, laughing when she jumped away from him. "I'm trying to get Havi to come over here." 

Lance giggled. "We have to teach her her name. Did she have a lot of brothers and sisters?" 

"It was a litter of seven, so yeah. Three boys and four girls. They were all so cute, but I knew Havi was the one for us." 

"That is a lot." He sat down too, legs stretched out comfortably so his knee could rest. "But I think going from a big family to a little one can work as long as we have the right people."

"Yeah. I think we've got the right people. And a nice big sister for her to play with and learn from." Keith reached over, taking his hand and squeezing gently. "She's gonna have a really good life here." 

"Mmhm." Lance leaned against him, smiling as they watched Havi hop around the yard. "I think we're all gonna have a good life together."

Keith's arm wrapped around him, holding him close. They were going to have an amazing life together, Keith and Lance with their two little four-legged kids, and maybe a two-legged kid in the future. Keith smiled just thinking about it, turning to kiss Lance's temple. "Yeah, it'll be really great." 

"I think so." He smiled, closing his eyes briefly. It was nice and cool out, the sun giving just enough warmth to make the fall day perfect, and he was with his favorite person and their two wonderful fur babies. He couldn't think of anything better. "Havi! ¡Mi princesita, ven aquí! Come here, Havi," he tried, pleased when she stopped and looked over, little head tilted. "That's a good girl. Ven aquí," he cooed, laughing when Kosmo pushed her nose against his cheek. "Ay, perrita, eres una mocosa."

"You're gonna have to teach me some Spanish, 'cause I have no idea what you're saying," Keith laughed. 

"Oh. Um. Ven aquí is 'come here' and mocosa or mocoso are 'brat.'"

"Okay, sounds good. You'll definitely have to slow it down for me, but I'll try it out." 

"Really? I'd love it if she understood some commands in Spanish, but it'd help if you were saying them too."

"Mmhm. You can teach both of us together." 

"We can start with ven aquí. It's not hard."

"Okay. Ven aquí." 

"No, not _a_ key. Ah. Soften it."

"I was saying it like that!" Keith complained, huffing softly. " _Ah_ -quí. Ven aquí. Is that better?" 

"Mmhm. It's good." Kosmo sniffed Keith's cheek, making Lance laugh. "She already knows what it means. She's heard it from me a bunch now."

"She's a smart girl," Keith complimented, scratching her ear and kissing her head. "Havi will get there too." 

"She will. I have faith in her." Especially when she pranced up and tumbled into Lance's lap like there was nowhere else she'd rather be. Keith may have brought her home, but Lance had given her nothing but cuddles and there was an instinctive pull. Lance didn't know anything about that, though, just happy to scoop her up and hold her to his cheek. "Eres muy linda, princesita. Te quiero."

Keith cocked his head, reaching over to scratch her ear. "What's that one mean?" 

"She's a very pretty little princess and I love her. I like how many different ways there are to say you love someone in Spanish."

"Mm… Like what? What's something you can teach me that I can say to you?" 

Lance smiled at him. "You could say something as simple as 'te amo' once in a while and that'd be enough for me."

Keith smiled. He'd just have to look some phrases up in his spare time. "Okay. Te amo, baby." 

Lance giggled. "Te amo también. Um. Try 'cariño.'"

"Cari… ño? Cariño? Is that right?" 

Smiling, Lance set Havi down so she could keep playing in the yard and climbed into Keith's lap. "Perfect. It's 'sweetheart.'" 

Keith grinned, winding his arms around Lance's waist, cupping his ass teasingly. "I like it. Cariño." 

Laughing, hips swaying a little, Lance kissed him. "I like hearing it. It's some of your best Spanish, mi cielo."

"Then I'll just have to keep saying it, cariño. I like the reaction you have to it." 

He just liked that Keith cared enough to try. "I just like hearing my language on your very talented tongue," he teased. 

"Mm, it is very talented, isn't it? Maybe I can use it on you again soon." 

Lance bit his lip. "Then we'd better wear the puppy out so you have time."

Keith smirked slowly. "Definitely." 

Laughing, Lance pushed off his lap and scooped Havi up. "Ven aquí, princesita. Let's go play with some new toys so you can sleep for a good long while tonight." She yipped, licking his nose, and he smiled at his boyfriend. "Ven aquí, mi cielo. Let's have fun with our puppy before you have fun with me."

"Uh-huh. Come on, Kosmo," he instructed as he stood. "Inside." She barked and ran in through the doggie door, staring out at them through the window. Keith laughed at her. "So dumb…" 

"No, she's not. She's smart." Lance smiled and set Havana down in front of the door. "Okay, princesita. You're gonna learn how to be as smart as Kosmo."

"Mmhm, she's just gotta get through the flap and she'll be all good." Keith squatted down next to her, stroking a hand down her back. "Okay, sweetie, go on through. Don't be scared." 

She didn't seem scared so much as confused, tail wagging blankly. Lance was so tempted to scoop her up and carry her through the door, but Kosmo stuck her face out and licked Havi's little face hard enough to roll her over. And then, wanting to get revenge in her little way, Havi scampered right through the gently flapping door to try and attack. She was only met with more licks, and Lance was thrilled with them. "Kosmo’s gonna be a great big sister."

Keith smiled proudly, looping his arm around Lance and leading him through the door. "She's gonna be the perfect big sister. She's already teaching Havi what she knows." 

"And being a great big sweet brat to do it."

Laughing, Keith locked the door behind them. "Mmhm, the biggest brat." 

"The best brat." Lance found a place on the floor near them, leaning against the wall and finding a toy. He squeaked it, laughing when Kosmo raced right over. "No, perrita. Let the puppy play too. She's slower than you."

Kosmo huffed, sitting back on her haunches and sliding down to the floor, her little elbows thudding on the wood. "Such a brat," Keith muttered, ruffling her fur. "You'll be able to play later. Let the puppy have a turn." 

She didn't seem to want one, veering away from the squeaky toy to tackle Kosmo’s tail. Lance giggled. "So cute. I can't believe she's mine."

Keith smiled, carding his fingers through Lance's hair and scritching his scalp. "Believe it. She's an adorable fluffball of love for you." 

"She is a cute fluffball, huh?" 

"Yup, the cutest." Kosmo paused in her play to nudge Keith's knee, making him laugh. "You're cute too, Kosmo. You're both very good girls." 

Lance scratched Kosmo behind the ear, content and happy to have his boyfriend and their happy dogs so close. Everything else seemed so far off in comparison to this little scene. "They are good. I don't know how I got so lucky, Keith."

"You met me." It was only a little bit of a brag about himself, but Keith wholeheartedly believed that Lance probably never would have gotten out of the situation he was in if it weren't for him.

Lance laughed, leaning against him. "Mmhm. And you somehow fell in love with me."

"'Somehow,'" Keith repeated, smiling softly. "It was no mystery. As soon as you started coming out of that shell of yours, I just knew I was going to fall for you." 

"Well... I didn't really like the shell. I know I still use it sometimes, but it's in pieces."

"Mmhm. And I know it's kind of like a defensive thing or was almost like a safe place, but I want you to start thinking about me and the pups and our home as your safe place." 

"I do. I really do. It's starting to get easier to look for you when I need something and... and that makes it easier to just be me."

Keith smiled, kissing his forehead. "That's all I ever wanted for you, baby. For you to just be you, finally. You deserve it after everything you've been through." 

"Thank you for helping make it happen, mi sol. You really are the brightest thing in my life."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I love you so much. Forever, if you'll have me that long." 

"Forever almost sounds long enough," Lance teased, kissing him before returning his attention to their pets. Havi tumbled over his legs, so he scooped her up and cuddled her to his chest, gently holding her on her back and wiggling the toy above her while she made excited puppy sounds and did her best to grab it. 

Keith laughed, laying back so Kosmo would run over and attack him on the floor. "There we go, good girl. Go find a toy, Kosmo." She barked once before racing off to the other side of the living room to dig through her toy basket. She came back with a stuffed cow, whipping it around her fiercely and then dropping it on Keith's chest. "Good, we'll play with this one while Lance plays with Havi." 

Lance grinned at him, fingers deftly avoiding sharp teeth. "She's not allowed to get cow toys anymore, not when mi princesita looks just like one."

"What if they're brown cows?" Keith countered, tugging on his end of the toy while Kosmo growled and tried to thrash it out of his hand. 

"That's allowed. But no Havi look-alikes. She's little like a squeaky toy." Lance shifted, laying on his stomach with Havana hopping all around him to get the toy or his fingers and whatever else she could reach, licking his ear and making him giggle. 

Keith chuckled, finally letting Kosmo have the toy so she could whip it around some more. It flew out of her mouth and sailed across the room, her nails clicking wildly on the wood as she went after it. He shook his head, turning over onto his stomach and scooting closer to Lance and Havi. "Kosmo would never hurt her, though, I know it. She already loves her." 

"I know, but I'm allowed to worry." Lance kissed his temple, smile bright. "I'm new at being a papi."

"Well, you're doing a wonderful job so far, baby. You're a natural." Smiling, Keith rested a hand on the small of Lance's back, massaging lightly. "You'll be a great actual dad someday too." 

Lance bit his lip, watching Havi. "With you?" 

"Mmhm, if you want. I've always wanted kids." 

"Me too. I want to adopt and- and give someone a better life."

"Yeah." Keith smiled, leaning over to kiss Lance's cheek. "We'll give them an amazing home and an even better life." 

"Eres muy dulce," Lance cooed, laughing when Havi barked. "Y tu, princesita. Tan dulce."

"And dulce is sweet, right?" Keith asked. 

"Mmhm. Dulce de leche is sweet milk."

"Sounds… interesting. That's the ice cream flavor?" 

"It can be. It's actually kind of like caramel? Just heat up and stir sweet milk and sugar." Lance shrugged. "I thought everyone knew that even though I hear it pronounced dul-chay a lot."

"Well, I didn't know exactly what it was. Would we be able to make it sometime? It sounds good." 

"Okay. We just need to find something lactose-free. I like when it hardens into candy, but I haven't had it in years."

"Alright, we'll figure it out. I'll ask Hunk first if he has a recipe." 

"Well, I do. When we had that Spanish chef at Marcia and Henry's, she'd make it for me and I got to help. I couldn't after she got fired."

Keith kissed his cheek again, smiling. "That's perfect, then." 

"Mmhm. It's not that complicated, but there's a lot of stirring and it takes a lot of milk. You end up with a- a sixth, I think, of what you start with."

"Hmm, okay. I'll just buy a few gallons and we can end up with a good amount." 

Lance laughed, squeaking the little toy to keep Havi's attention. "What if you don't like it?" 

"You like it," he pointed out. "So it won't go to waste." 

"I do and it keeps a while in the freezer. It'll be fun making it together."

"Yeah it will be. We've never made anything together, have we?" 

"Mm-mm. Maybe when we go out to get mint bones for Havi, we can find some lactose-free sweet milk?" 

Keith smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great." 

"Okay. We'll try it tomorrow and hopefully Hunk and Pidge can come over. Then they can have some dulce de leche too."

"Yeah. They'd better not have anything going on tomorrow." 

Lance giggled, rolling Havi onto her back to rub her belly. "If they do, more for us."

"True." Chuckling, Keith rolled back over onto his back, reaching out above his head to gently rock Havi back and forth. 

She tipped and panted, tail sweeping across the floor in excited wiggles and Lance rolled onto his side to prop himself up on an elbow and smile down at her and his boyfriend. "This is almost too sweet."

Keith smirked up at him, picking Havi up and depositing her in the middle of his own chest. "How about this?" 

Laughing, Lance leaned down and kissed him. "Even sweeter."

"Mm, that was pretty sweet too. Can I get another taste?" 

Cheeks pink, Lance gave him another kiss. Just as sweet but a little longer. "Better?" 

Keith hummed, stroking a hand down Havi's back. "Yeah, but I bet you could do even better than that." 

"Not while you're holding our new daughter. You'll get a better kiss later."

" _Ugh_ ," he huffed dramatically, a smile on his face. "Okay. Later." 

"Maybe... Maybe I'll ride you too," he teased, blush deepening. "You should get something nice for giving me something so special."

Keith smirked, pinching Lance's arm. "Hell yeah. That's gonna be so hot." 

"Don't _do_ that when you have a puppy on you like that. I'm trying to behave and that doesn't help."

"Hmm, well, the puppy can be moved and I do like it when you misbehave."

" _Keith_! She's too little. I'm not gonna traumatize her like that." Lance swept her up, cuddling her close and holding her little pumpkin up so she could keep squeaking it. "That's a good girl, princesita. Your daddy's just a bad boy brat."

Keith laughed, stretching out and folding his arms behind his head. "You fell in love with this bad boy brat." 

"Yeah, I did." He smiled, but it was wicked. "Oh, Kosmo!" he called, laughing when she raced over and immediately flopped on Keith when she saw him on his back. "Ay, peritta buena."

Keith's breath wheezed out of him, all of her weight settling on her front paws. "Oh my god, get offa me, you crazy dog." She merely barked and wagged her tail, and Keith could only roll his eyes. 

Lance giggled, cuddling Havi up to his cheek. "See, princesita? We don't let the big guys be bullies. We get 'em back." She happily licked his cheek, making him laugh, and he rose. "Come on, Kosmo. My pretty girls need treats."

She woofed happily before bouncing off of Keith, making his breath rush out of him again. " _God_!" 

"Okay, that one was an accident. Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, just took me by surprise." 

"I'm sorry. I'm still gonna give her a treat, though. She didn't mean it."

"I know, it's fine. Really. She's just a big girl." He rolled over onto his front to push himself up. "Give them each a few." 

Lance smiled, kissing his cheek before he headed for the kitchen. "I know you don't know what treats are yet, Havi, but you will. It's Kosmo’s favorite word."

She barked again, running circles around Lance's feet excitedly. Keith laughed at her, shaking his head as he headed to the couch. "She's got a few favorites, but I think that one might be her most favorite." 

"She's allowed to have a lot of favorites." Lance set Havi on one of the barstools, watching her head tilt side to side in confusion while he opened Kosmo’s bucket of treats and a fresh bag of puppy treats for her. "Okay, Havi, watch close. Sit. Siéntate." And he gave Kosmo a treat when her butt hit the floor. "Perrita buena," he praised. 

Her tail wagged wildly behind her, but she stayed sat down, panting happily as he watched Lance's hands closely. 

Lance smiled at her, plucking out a tiny treat for Havi. "Okay, Kosmo, stay. Quédate." He turned to Havi and let her sniff a treat and take it. Then Kosmo got another treat for waiting patiently, but Havi was already excited at getting another treat so shifted closer to the edge of the stool until Lance just picked her up and held her safely in the crook of his arm. "Okay, that's dangerous. No more sitting up there until you're older."

"Uh, yeah, definitely not. She should be okay on the floor with Kosmo. You should see if she'll sit." 

"But then she's too far away for cuddles," he protested playfully. 

Keith laughed, flopping onto his back on the couch. "You can cuddle her _after_ treats." 

"No, I should cuddle her always."

"Hmm, what about when you're in class?" 

He sighed gustily. "I'll be deprived."

Keith chuckled. "I'm sure you'll survive." 

"I don't know. It'll be hard now that I know she's at home." Lance smiled, but set her on the floor. She looked so tiny next to Kosmo, melting his heart. "Oh, they're both so cute. I don't want to make her sit. I just want to shower her in treats and love."

"Well, you don't have to make her sit yet. She's gonna learn it at her puppy training class anyway." 

"Then she gets cute treats." And so did Kosmo. He happily took two treats and crouched down, letting them both take a treat from him. "Perritas buenas, te quiero."

Keith smiled to himself, closing his eyes. "They are good girls. I love them both so much." 

Lance smiled, scooping Havi up and snapping his fingers so Kosmo would follow. Havi's little bed was set right by Kosmo’s so he encouraged Kosmo into hers. Then, impulsively, he settled Havi in beside her and tucked in a chew toy. She gnawed on the rubber bone, happily snuggled in Kosmo’s soft fur, and Lance pulled out his phone to take a picture. They were perfect. Such a sweet, wonderful little family.

"I love them too." He turned and went to Keith, straddling him on the couch and sinking into a warm kiss. "And I really love you."

"I really love you too, baby," Keith murmured, cupping Lance's ass and squeezing teasingly. 

He giggled, pushing back into the touch. "Thank you, Keith. I know I've said it already but... Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Lance. I meant it and I still mean it: anything for you." 

"I never doubt it when you say it. You make me feel very special and loved." 

Keith smiled, pleased with him. "Good. That's all I ever want." 

Lance bit his lip. "I don't think that's _all_ you want."

The smile shifted into a sly smirk, squeezing his cheeks again as he rolled his hips up. "Definitely not _all_ I want. You caught me." 

"Uh-huh. I think Havi's ready for another nap if you wanted to maybe take what you want."

"Ooh, I like it when I get to do that. But I think I do want you to ride me this time. Maybe sit on my face first, though." 

"Okay. But take me to bed. I don't want furry witnesses." Lance smiled, hips grinding down and laugh spilling out when Keith scooped him up with his usual ease. Lance was comfortable and happy with it, but he didn't think he'd ever truly get used to it. He cherished Keith and everything his boyfriend was willing to do for him, all the surprises and changes he was willing to give or guide Lance through. It was all incredible and every day just made it that much better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's what little Havana/Havi looks like:


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More tooth-rotting fluff and more smut. Enjoy! :D

A couple weeks later, Keith skipped his Thursday early afternoon classes and took a trip to the post office, where they were holding a very special package for him. He'd found it nearly a month ago, the perfect engagement ring for the perfect boyfriend, and was so excited to finally be picking it up. He'd had the post office hold onto it for him, not wanting to risk Lance finding it before he had time to propose the right way.

So he had placed the order, not even hesitating at the near $5000 price tag. To Keith, Lance was worth it. And while he knew he could never put a price on their love, it apparently mattered to other people, and Keith wanted a ring that would stand out and be as individual as his boyfriend. Which was why it took nearly a month for it to be made. It was as custom as he could get it, asking the jeweler to modify it a few different ways until it was perfect.

And after opening the box, right there in the middle of the post office, he knew they'd gotten it perfect.

Nestled in the darkest black velvet Keith had ever seen was the ring he'd use to ask Lance to become his husband. It had a gold band that split in two and twisted over itself a couple times in the center, where a big two carat diamond sat. Four sapphires were embedded in the gold around it, following the lines of the ring itself as they twisted back together to form the solid band.

Keith grinned, snapping the box closed and stuffing it in his pocket. He could hardly wait to ask Lance to marry him, to become his forever, and raced out of the post office to make it to his last class of the day.

And afterwards, he found Lance waiting outside his classroom. Blue eyes lit behind his frames as soon as Lance saw him, hands reaching out. "Hi, mi sol. My class let out early so I came to visit." And, they both knew, Lance was nervous about being alone on campus. His parents had indeed made bail, using one of their other vehicles as collateral. They weren't considered a flight risk, but there was a date set for Lance to get a restraining order. 

"Mm, I'm glad you did." Smiling, Keith took both of his hands and tugged him forward into a kiss. 

Lance giggled, arms wrapping around his neck. "You just like seeing my pretty face."

"Mmhm, I love seeing your pretty face. I just love you." 

"Te amo también, mi cielo. Now let's go home. I want to see our girls."

"Me too." Keith let go of one hand, lacing their fingers together with the other and tugging him gently down the hallway. "What did you feel like for dinner tonight?" 

"Don't make fun of me, but I've been in the mood for lasagna and garlic knots. Like our first date."

Keith grinned. It was even more perfect than he could imagine. "No, I wouldn't make fun of you for that. I'll start making it when we get home." 

"Okay. I'll distract the perritas. It's my favorite job."

"I know it is, baby. They love it when you get to distract them." 

Smiling, Lance swung their joined hands. "Mmhm. And Havi's gotten so good with all her training. I'm really excited to start taking her around places in her little training vest. Do you think she'll do okay?" 

"Yeah, she'll be just fine. She'll probably be a little excited, but you just have to make sure you use a firm tone so she listens to you." 

"Now you sound like our trainer," Lance teased, squeezing his hand. "But I will. I don't want her to be one of those fake service animals. People who have them do more damage than good."

"I know, baby. You actually need her, and there's nothing wrong with that." 

"Mmhm. She's been a really big help." She was great when he was too stressed to find Keith, always seeming to know when his anxiety was high and right by him. It was so easy to pick her up, to focus on her until he was calm enough to go find Keith. She was a furry little angel. "And Kosmo’s been so good with her, it's amazing."

"Yeah, but I had a feeling she would be. She did fail her own training for being too sweet, after all." Smiling, Keith lifted their joined hands to kiss the back of Lance's as they stepped outside into the cold November day. 

Lance smiled, pulling his sweater a little tighter around himself. Soon enough there'd be snow on the ground and he'd have to get an actual jacket. "She's proving it, but I love that about her."

"Mmhm, me too." Keith smiled, letting go of Lance's hand to wrap his arm around his waist instead, drawing him close to shield him from the wind. "I'm ready for some heat now, though. Three years and I'm still not used to this winter weather." 

"Me neither. I'd love to go down south after I graduate but law school takes a while."

"Yeah, but that's okay. We can always go during summer or whenever you've got time off." 

"Mmhm. I don't want to take you far from your parents, though. You know that."

"Oh, like you wanna move down there?" 

"Well, yeah. That's what I meant. I don't really know _where_ , but I miss Florida and I know you miss Austin. So I'd like to actually live down south one day."

Keith smiled, kissing his cheek. "I'd love that, actually. I do really miss Austin, but we can find a place we both like. And my parents still actually have a house in Texas, so we'd never be more than a flight away from them." 

Lance nodded. "Maybe somewhere near the water?" 

"That sounds perfect. A beach would be awesome." 

"It _would_ ," Lance sighed. "I'd love that."

Keith chuckled. "Then I'm gonna find us a beachfront home for us and our girls." 

"That'd be really nice." For one day. Until then, they'd just have to settle with what they had and where they were. "I bet Kosmo would love the water. I don't know how Havi would be. I think we should take her swimming sometime."

"We can definitely do that. Kosmo loves the water, so maybe she can teach Havi some things." 

"Well, she's been a big help during training. She's a good teacher like her daddy."

Keith smiled, bumping their hips together. "Yeah? You've gotten much better since the beginning of the semester." 

"Mmhm. It's _so_ much easier with my modifications too. Math doesn't make me want to cry every day."

"Good. I'm really glad we were able to do that for you, baby." 

"Me too. I'm excited I just get to do what I want, and I don't know if that's ever gonna go away." He didn't think it would, not with Keith as his partner. Every day with him was exciting. "I like feeling like my future is going to be okay."

"Yeah, I feel the same way. I'm really looking forward to our future together. I think it's gonna be a fun one." 

"Me too." Lance took his helmet once they reached the motorcycle, rocking back onto his heels while Keith put his on. "Do you think... Do you think we can bring the car on Monday? I kinda maybe want to try wearing one of my dresses."

Keith grinned, squeezing his side. "Definitely. We should start taking the car more often anyway. It's getting cold out." 

"Mmhm. But I know you've ridden this the rest of the years through winter." Lance stuck his tongue out and pulled on his helmet. "I like our car."

"I do too. I can't wait to use the sunroof." 

Lance laughed. "We should take a drive somewhere one day and use it to see the stars."

"Mm, yeah. That sounds like fun. And we can have a picnic." 

"One in the car with the heat on?" Lance teased, climbing onto the motorcycle behind him. 

Keith chuckled. "Yeah, absolutely," he responded before starting and revving the engine. 

Lance gave him a fond squeeze, smiling as they took off for home. And, oh, he knew he'd never get used to having one of those. It was magical to see a whole building and know he was safe in it. He knew he was loved in it, too, happily scooping Havi up as soon as he walked in because both dogs were waiting excitedly by the door. He greeted them both, happily getting just a little attention from Kosmo before she was running around Keith's legs in search of his affection. 

He grinned down at her, scratching her behind the ear before dropping to the floor to hug her. "Hi, sweetie, I missed you too," he said as she slathered his face with kisses. 

Smiling, Lance cuddled Havi and got the same treatment. "Our pretty girls. Who wants some treats before dinner?" 

Kosmo barked, jumping up in a circle and running up to Lance, her tail wagging wildly behind her. "I can't really tell, but I think Kosmo might." 

Lance laughed. "Looks like it." Havi wasn't quite as animated, but her tail wagged excitedly and she licked Lance's chin. "I'm gonna give treats and practice some of their training outside for a little bit. I'll feed them and then help you out if you want." 

"Sounds like a plan, baby. I'll let you know when I'm ready to start the garlic knots if you're not back inside by then." 

"I should be. I don't want them to be out in the cold for too long. The sun's already going down and it's not even five." 

"Yeah. Kosmo is usually alright for a little while. She loves the snow. But Havi is really small, so she probably shouldn't be out in the cold for long." 

"Mmhm. I need a big jacket so she can live in it and be nice and warm on W-A-L- _No_ , Kosmo, how did you learn to spell?" 

The pup in question was now bouncing around Lance's legs, throwing her front paws on the floor and wiggling her butt in the air. Keith laughed, shaking his head as he started dragging things out to make dinner. "She's too smart, I swear. I'm gonna have to start using different code names for everything." 

"She's way too smart. She'll know the Spanish and then the Spanish spelling soon. No walks, Kosmo. Go outside. Go out back." He set Havi down and rose to get a handful of treats. "Go on, perritas. I'll be right there."

Kosmo huffed and gave a doggie pout with her ears flattened, but dropped her head and nudged Havi towards the doggie door. She got impatient when the little Havanese seemed more interested in whatever Lance was doing and picked her up by the scruff and carried her outside. "She's ridiculous." 

"She's so good. She's almost more like a mom instead of a sister." Smiling, Lance kissed his boyfriend. "We definitely need to work on teaching Havi to ignore treats though. She's obviously still a little bad at that."

"Yeah, but she'll get the hang of it soon enough. It helps that Kosmo understands what we want and can just take care of Havi herself." Keith smiled, glancing out the windows into the backyard to see Havi trying to keep up with Kosmo as she streaked across the yard. "She's a good sister." 

"Yeah. Give me a good kiss before I go outside. I want something to keep me warm."

"Mm, we're gonna need to get you a jacket soon," Keith commented, but left the jar of tomato sauce he was fighting with on the counter to wrap Lance up in his arms and planted a firm kiss to his lips. 

Lance hummed his agreement, melting into the kiss. He let it spiral through him, thinking of their first one outside the dorm room. It had been soft and chaste, a sweet little meeting of lips with all the patience in the world on Keith's end. He remembered being nervous and excited and just wanting to do his best. They'd shared a thousand of kisses in their time together, but they still made him as happy as the first had. He loved Keith with everything he had. "Te amo mucho, mi cielo."

Keith smiled softly, kissing him again, quick and sweet. "Te amo, baby." 

Lance grinned. He really loved when Keith spoke Spanish to him, limited though it was. "See you soon."

And then he turned to take the treats outside and play with their pets. Havi had been doing wonders with her tricks, delighting Lance with how quickly she'd picked up sit and lay down. Stay was still a little rough, but it was rough for Kosmo. She almost knew how to shake, but couldn't switch paws like Kosmo could. She was still more likely to trip herself up than anything, but she was still a puppy. And she knew the most important things - her name and come. She also followed the Spanish commands better than the English ones, which amused him to no end. She even seemed to be teaching them to Kosmo, who was starting to catch on. It helped that Lance gave treats a little more freely than Keith. They were both very food motivated dogs. 

It was soon too cold for him to continue, cheeks and nose red and fingers shaking a little as he pulled the sweater around himself. "Okay, girls, let's go in. Inside. Entren," he ordered and they both scampered in through the dog door. Kosmo got an extra treat and ear scratches when she let the smaller Havana go first, but Lance's hands were cold so Kosmo shook him off and slipped through the flap. Lance smiled, rubbing his hands together. He didn't have anymore treats, so it had worked out as far as he was concerned.

He walked into the kitchen, soaking in the heat from the preheating oven. "Do you think we can try going to the store with Havi this weekend so I can get a jacket? We can put on her training vest."

Keith smiled from behind the island where he was starting the dough for the garlic knots. "Definitely. I wanna see how she does at a store that's not for pets." 

"I think she'll be good. Maybe she'll be less excitable if Kosmo’s not there." Since a big part of their training had included her so she wouldn't feel left out. 

"Mmhm. That's the dream." 

"Yeah, it is." Lance laughed, kissing his cheek. "It smells good in here already."

"Yeah? My nose is used to it already, but good." Smirking, Keith turned and flicked his flour-covered fingers at him. "Did you wanna help with this part?" 

"Not if you're gonna flick stuff on me!" he protested with a laugh, but took off his sweater and hung it on the back of a chair before washing his hands. "What should I do?" 

"You can either chop the garlic if you wanna try, get some butter melted, or roll out the dough. That's basically all there is to garlic knots. And I'll show you how to shape them, of course." 

"I can do butter." He ended up chopping garlic too, smiling bright when Keith caged him in to show him how to shape the knots after his first two attempts flopped. He loved helping him in the kitchen, slowly gaining a few skills.

When the knots were proving and the lasagna was in the oven, Lance washed his hands again and kissed Keith's cheek. "One day, I'll make dinner for you."

Keith smiled, taking hold of his hand and lacing their fingers. "I'd really love that." 

"It won't be the fanciest meal ever," he warned, "but I'll do my best."

"That's okay, baby. It'll be special because you made it." 

"I'm glad you think so, mi sol." Lance cupped his cheek and kissed him fondly. "Let's go play with the puppies."

"A dream come true," Keith teased, following Lance back out into the living room where the girls were laying down together, each chewing on their own toys. Kosmo perked up when they walked in, nearly knocking Havi over in her haste to jump up. "Oh, Kosmo. You're such a problem." 

Lance laughed, scratching her ears. "You are a problem, but you're a very sweet problem. You're a good girl, perrita buena."

She licked his hand excitedly before bounding over to Keith who'd sat on the couch. Her paws punched him in the stomach, his breath rushing out on a gasp. "Fuck, Kosmo. You've got way too much energy." 

Lance giggled, scooping Havi up and carrying her to the couch. He sat down beside him, cuddling the smaller dog in his lap. She had as much energy as Kosmo, but there was a level of maturity in her breeding that worked well for Lance. He straightened her hair bow, scratching her behind the ears. "No, she's an angel."

"The devil is technically an angel." 

"A fallen one. Kosmo's a good angel. Isn't she, Havi? Habla. Habla ahora." She yipped, and Lance happily scratched her back. 

Keith shook his head fondly, patting his leg so Kosmo would jump up into his lap. "Havi's getting really good at her commands." 

"She is, isn't she? I'm so proud of her."

"Mmhm, me too." Keith hugged around Kosmo’s middle, kissing the side of her head. "So is Kosmo, I know." 

"Well, having someone as well-trained as Kosmo has helped a lot. I'd be really lost without either of you."

Keith leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I would say no you wouldn't, but… yeah, you probably would be. I'm actually glad Marcia found me for you." 

Lance smiled. "So am I. This school may not have the best law program, but it works for me. I almost wish I could actually go to Yale just to rub it in their faces. I never even applied because they didn't believe I'd make it and... Well, it wasn't far enough away for me. I wanted to be across the country. But you're here and that's just fine with me."

"Don't sell yourself short, baby. I bet you could make it into Yale. Apply next year." 

Keith's faith in him was always a happy surprise. Lance shook his head. "Maybe I will after you graduate and I get my AA. It'll be easier to transfer."

Keith smiled, cupping his cheek and rubbing his thumb along Lance's bottom lip. "Okay, baby. I think that's a good plan." 

Lance tipped into his touch. He was used to it, but it was always so welcome. "You'd go with me? If I went there, we'd find a place nearby to live together still?" 

"Absolutely. It's not even that far away from here, and I'd find a nicer house than this one, for sure. I'll be right there with you, every step of the way." 

Lance smiled, turning his head to kiss his palm. He didn't tell him that he didn't need to find somewhere nicer, knowing his boyfriend too well. Keith knew he'd happily live in a box as long as they were together, and Keith wanted to give him the world. "I really love you."

"I really love you too, baby. So much." Enough that he was planning on asking Lance to spend the rest of their lives together. 

"I know." Smiling, Lance leaned over to let their lips meet but froze at the ringing of a phone. His old phone sang shrill from the end table it sat on, charging so it could continue to show them Marcia and Henry's whereabouts at all times. It hadn't rung in days, their threatening messages all saved to be used for their restraining order hearing. Lance, thankfully, hadn't had to listen to them. Keith tended to handle that job, but Lance bit his lip and ducked his head. "I bet they got served today."

"Hmm, probably. You should answer it anyway. I wanna hear what they have to scream about." 

Lance bit his lip. "You _know_ what they have to scream about. It's a court date on top of all the rest. I- I don't want to answer it."

"Alright, pass it over here, then. I'll just pick it up and not say anything. Oooh, I'll hang up on them. Even better." 

"You're such a problem," Lance teased, but it made him feel a little better. So did the puppy in his lap, able to be cuddled as he rose and crossed to get his phone before it could stop ringing. He handed it to Keith, but stayed away so he didn't have to hear the inevitable screaming. Havi sensed his change in mood, nuzzling into his neck and letting him cuddle her and gain whatever comfort he could. 

Keith smirked as he swiped to answer the call, confused when he didn't immediately hear screaming on the other end. Arching a brow, he turned the speakerphone on and increased the volume. 

"-little idiot wants to indulge in. We'll tell everyone he's in class like normal. Maybe we'll say he's gone overseas."

Henry's raspy chuckle followed the sound of a deliberate inhale. Lance could practically smell the sickly sweet cigar stench, hear Henry's derisive claims that he was holding the only good thing to ever come out of Cuba. He didn't even smoke a Cuban brand. "No one would believe he made it overseas. Don't overcomplicate things, Marcia."

"Well how are we supposed to explain our absence, _Henry_? He put us in _jail_."

Lance slowly sat down, exchanging looks with Keith. While he was nervous, his boyfriend looked wickedly excited. Of course. And, well, maybe Lance was a little proud that they were impacted so negatively.

"We'll just say we took a trip. It's _fine_."

"It would be so much easier if we could keep him with us. I told you we never should've sent him to college." There was a beat of silence that spoke volumes. That wasn't true at all. "Perhaps Saturday morning, we should call and remind him of all the things we have in our safe. If he doesn't want his family's worthless things, we'll burn them. And when he comes back for them, we'll simply pull him out of school. He can take online courses until he marries."

"Brittany was the only suitable candidate we had, Marcia. Who else do you suppose we can marry him off to now that he's broadcast his disgusting sexual preferences?" 

There was another beat of silence. "We'll find someone. The point is I want my car back and I need all of this foolish court business to go away. Both of us do."

"Mmhm."

"Don't you dare say 'mmhm' in that tone. This _boy_ is ruining our lives! He's just a stupid Cuban! And we're having people over Sunday instead of Saturday to avoid suspicious _mail_! I won't stand for it!" 

"Mmhm."

Something shattered, Marcia's frustrated shriek filling the speaker before fabric rustled and the call ended. 

Keith arched a brow, a slow smirk spreading over his lips. "Oh my god, they're so pissed. This is great." 

Lance nodded. "And they... They haven't even checked the safe yet. We did that two months ago."

"Yup. God, I kinda wanna go over there and crash their stupid little party on Sunday." 

Biting his lip, Lance looked down at and pet Havi softly. "We should."

Keith nudged Kosmo off his lap, standing to wrap his arms around Lance's waist. "You really want to?" 

"No, but also yes." Lance looked up, shifting Havi up to his shoulder. She pushed her wet nose against his neck, forcing a smile out of him and helping him be brave. "They're going to lie about me somehow - _again_ \- just to keep their own reputations intact. They're trying to sweep all of this under the rug like they do everything and we have all this evidence. I say... I say w-we get there late so they've had a chance to spread their lies. And I can even display one of those videos of Henry and Louise right on their TV. And I... I w-want to go wearing a dress and one of the jackets with the school logo on the back."

"Yeah? That's sure to get a rise out of them. I can't wait to see them fly off the handle in front of their 'friends,' especially when we show them that video of Henry and his own secretary fucking." 

"I know Hunk got a few videos, so we can put them all on a flash drive and I'll just plug it into their TV."

Keith laughed, planting a firm kiss on Lance's lips. "Yes! That's perfect! Marcia is going to _freak_." 

"B-but so will Henry."

Nodding, Keith squeezed him gently, pressing a softer kiss to his forehead. "And I won't let anything happen to you, baby. I'm going to protect you from them, no matter what. He's just going to have to deal with it, and hopefully Marcia will turn on him before he has a chance to try anything." 

"Okay. That's still the last thing I want to do before we leave."

"Well, I don't plan on us being there too long, but yeah, we'll do that one last."

Lance nodded. "Mmhm. I just- I want to sneak in and talk to some people. Introduce you as my boyfriend and drop that this is our school. If it gets to three people, it'll spread. They're all gossips."

Keith smirked. "That sounds like a perfect plan. And they're so focused on keeping the fact that they went to jail away from everyone, they probably won't even notice at first." 

"Y-yeah. I'm- It's scary, but I want to do it."

"Mmhm. Let's bring them down once and for all." 

"And then blast them with a restraining order so they can't retaliate."

Keith laughed, dragging him down onto the couch into his lap, mindful of Havi still in Lance's arms. "Yes. It's the perfect way to go out." 

"Yeah, it is." Lance set Havi onto the cushion so he could snuggle close to Keith. "It's not _too_ mean, is it? It's the right amount."

"Considering all they've done to you, I'd say it's not mean enough. But we won't try any harder than that."

"Okay." Lance kissed him, soft and sweet, and huffed against his lips when the timer went off. "Time to check the knots, I guess."

Keith chuckled, rubbing his back. "Well, yeah, you're hungry, aren't you?" 

"Mmhm." Lance kissed his nose before rising, plucking up Havi again. "We're going to have fun tonight. I don't want to think about them until Sunday."

"Mm-mm, you don't have to," he assured him, pushing himself off the couch and stretching his arms above his head. "Neither of us have to think about them." 

"Good. I just want to think about you and our girls. Our little family is perfect."

"Yeah, it really is." Keith smiled, petting Havi while he kissed Lance's cheek. "Now d'you just wanna watch me finish the knots? I just have to put them in the pan and into the oven."

"Yeah." Lance followed him, still carrying Havi and listening to the click of Kosmo’s nails behind him. She obviously couldn't risk being the only one to not get treats if they were all going to the kitchen. So, naturally, Lance gave her and Havi each a treat. Havi had been too good for him when the phone had rung and Kosmo sat when she was told. It was enough reason for him. 

He and Keith played with them while the lasagna and knots finished in the oven, practicing holding Havi's attention while excitement happened nearby. It was her worst skill and the most important to master if she was going to be a successful emotional support dog. But she was getting better every day. Lance rolled onto his back, smiling as he let Havi run up to and pounce on Kosmo. It didn't do much, the bigger dog using her muzzle to roll little Havana over. It made him happy and he reached for Keith's hand with a smile, giggling when he was pulled right into his boyfriend's lap. This made him happy too. "Te amo, mi cielo."

"Te amo, cariño," Keith murmured, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I'm really happy I have you." 

"I'm happy too. I like being yours and I like having you."

Keith smiled, his leg bouncing against the couch cushions. The ring box was suddenly a heavy weight in his pocket, reaching down to fiddle with it absently. And then he decided he just couldn't wait. He wrapped his arms around Lance's middle, lifting him easily so he could get off the couch and deposit Lance back onto the cushion.

"Uh, I was gonna wait til dinner to do this, but I just can't." Knowing Lance was probably confused as hell, Keith smiled softly and quickly dropped to one knee, fishing the box out of his jeans. "Lance-" 

"Yes!" And then he quickly covered his mouth, cheeks flushing. "Wait, I mean- I mean yes, but I'm supposed to wait for you to actually ask first."

Keith laughed, resting his forehead on Lance's knee and shaking his head. "Well, that is generally how it's supposed to go." And he wanted to actually ask, so he lifted his head again and opened the lid, finally showing off the ring. "Lance McClain, will you marry me?" 

Tears filled his eyes as quickly as the blush had risen to his face, Lance nodding eagerly. He'd called him a McClain and the ring was _beautiful_ and his boyfriend was _gorgeous_ and Lance loved him so much. "It's still yes. It's- It's such a yes. I love you so much. You really want to be my family, Keith?" 

"Of course I do, baby. I love you more than I can even put into words. I want to be your husband. I want us to have a life and a family together." 

"Tu esposo..." Lance nodded eagerly, letting Keith take his left hand. "Me casaré contigo, mi cielo. 'I'll marry you.' I want all of that too."

Grinning brightly, Keith slipped the ring onto his finger, pleased that he'd gotten the sizing right. "Good. I love you, baby," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the back of his hand. 

"Te amo también." Lance smiled brightly despite the tears clinging to his lashes. "I have to tell Hunk and Pidge."

Keith laughed, rising to kiss him deeply for a moment. "Go ahead, baby. I'm gonna tell my parents and Shiro." 

"Okay." Lance reached up, holding onto his shoulders until Keith got the message and picked him up. His legs wound around his waist, their brows resting together. "I love you."

"I love you too," Keith murmured, eyes shining with all the feelings he had for his boyfriend - his _fiancé_. "I can't wait to marry you." 

"When can you? Having a husband sounds really appealing."

"It really, really does. Technically we could just go to Vegas and elope, but I'm not sure how that all works out with the needing a marriage license and everything." 

"Well, what about your parents? And Shiro and Hunk and Pidge. I want to have them there."

"I know. I do too. We'll figure it out. We can have a short engagement, baby, don't worry." 

"Okay. Do you want that too?" 

Keith smiled. "Yeah, I do. I want to be married to you as soon as possible. I've never been more sure about anything else in my entire life." 

"Me neither." Lance kissed him. "Are you really hungry or can we turn the oven off and go to bed?" 

Keith laughed, cupping Lance's ass and squeezing. "We can go to bed, baby. I'll just turn the oven on again later." 

"Good because I _really_ want your hands on me. My fiancé."

"Mm, that has a nice ring to it." 

Lance smiled, lowering his legs. "Yeah, it does. I'll give the perritas some regalos and meet you in bed."

Keith smiled, reaching down to pinch Lance's butt. "Alright, I'll meet you in there." 

Giggling, Lance stepped back and lifted his hand to admire his ring. He loved the gold against his skin, the shininess of the diamond, and the stunning blue of the sapphires. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever owned. "This is... I can't believe you got me this. It's perfect, Keith."

"Mmhm. I knew it would look amazing." 

"It does. I can't wait to show it off to everyone _and_ you're gonna feel it when I get my hands on you. Everytime I do forever."

Keith smirked, nodding as he started walking backwards to the kitchen. "Yup. And when we get married, you'll feel mine." 

Lance laughed, reaching for one of their treat containers. "I absolutely will and I really can't wait. Are we going to get a honeymoon?"

"Absolutely, baby. We're gonna go anywhere you want to."

"How about our trip to Cuba and Korea? We were gonna go anyway."

Keith grinned. "Yes. Definitely let's do that." 

"Good. So- so we'll have a cute little summer wedding and a nice honeymoon and- Will your parents watch the dogs?" 

"Mmhm. They'll be happy to watch them. My dad loves both of them." 

Lance nodded, smiling bright. "This is the best thing I've ever gotten to plan."

"Well, what about our wedding? You're definitely gonna help me plan that." 

"Mmhm." He just didn’t think there would be much of that with a tiny wedding, especially since he didn't know what all would be involved. "I think it'll be fun."

"I think so too. It'll be small, but definitely fun." 

"And special." Lance bit his lip when the timer went off. Their food was ready, but Lance had other plans. Smiling, he turned away and dropped treats for their pets. "Be good, perritas. Daddy and I are gonna take some alone time." He sent Keith a smile over his shoulder and disappeared down the hall to get to the bedroom. 

Keith shook his head, smirking to himself as he shut the ovens off. If he didn't know Lance's family situation, he would have made a joke about Lance having a daddy kink, but it would have been in poor taste. Instead, he made his way down the hall and walked into the bedroom with a smile on his face. "And what did you have in mind for tonight?" 

Lance smiled, the lube ready by the bed and his heart racing. No matter how many times Keith touched him, it was still exciting. "I want to make mi cielo feel good. Let you lay back so I can ride you."

"Mmm, that sounds really good, baby." Keith stepped closer, kneeling on the edge of the bed and scooting closer to straddle Lance's legs. "You gonna be a good boy for me?" 

Lance wet his lips, reaching up to slide Keith's zipper down. He wasn't quite as shy as he used to be, but still felt his pulse jump when he unsnapped Keith's jeans. There was something even more exciting about his engagement ring glinting in the low light. "I'm always your good boy. Soy tu chico bueno, mi sol."

"Yeah, you are." Pleased by him, Keith watched as long fingers pushed the waistband of his jeans down, boxers going with it. He was barely even half-hard yet, but with Lance's hungry gaze on him and the sudden hand wrapping around his shaft, Keith knew it wouldn't take long to get him all the way there. "Fuck… You're getting so much better. I love your hands, baby." 

Lance bit his lip, gazing up at Keith hungrily. "I love you. I love watching you when I t-touch you." And he could hardly wait to have him deep, muscles already clenching just in anticipation of being full and stretched wide. "Me encanta."

"Mm… Mmhm." Keith rolled his hips, moaning softly. "I love watching _you_. You always bite your bottom lip all sexy and your eyes are laser-focused. You're so gorgeous." 

Lance giggled softly, twisting his wrist and squeezing exactly how and where Keith liked. He'd learned how to touch him, how to draw out his delicious moans and the praise that made him want to do exactly what Keith wanted. Anything to hear those sweet words and compliments. "Soy tuyo. All yours, Keith. I picked the edible lube."

"Ooh, want me to- to eat you out after you're done with me?" 

"Uh-huh. I love your tongue." Lance let him go so he could draw up his own shirt, arching off the bed to get it over his head and tossed aside. "I want you to do what you like."

"Hmm, well, I like doing everything with you," Keith replied slyly, shucking his own shirt. "And I love everything about you." 

"Y tú." Lance slid his hands up Keith's torso, making sure he could feel the thin band on his ring finger. "I want you to take me."

Keith smiled, taking his left hand and lacing their fingers together, rubbing his thumb over the ring. "Thought you wanted to be on top doing all the work tonight, baby." 

"I do." Lance looked at their hands, heart swelling. He'd say that in a very different context soon, could hardly wait. "But aren't you gonna get me ready?" 

"Mmhm. How do you want me to do that? You're in control tonight, baby. Tell me what to do for you." 

He was really starting to like being in control. Keith was open to so much, always willing to let him explore curiosities and discover kinks. "I- I want your tongue."

Keith smiled, reaching down to trace a finger over Lance's abdomen. "You wanna sit on my face?" 

Oh, Keith always knew how to make him squirm. Heat flared and he nodded. "Y-yes."

"Alright, then, baby, you just have to switch spots with me." 

He moved without hesitation, lips meeting Keith's when they were both sitting up. The kiss stoked the fire in both of them, tongues tangling and moans soft. Smiling, Lance plucked up the bottle of lube and set it next to the pillow before he slipped off the bed to let his jeans fall, hips swishing as fabric slid down his legs. He left the panties on, the silk thong a surprise for his boyfriend. He knew Keith liked just moving the strap aside and getting his way, so crawled back onto the bed with a wicked smile to start drawing the rest of Keith's clothes away. "Mi tesoro," he purred, leaning down to kiss each of his thighs when they were bared. 

"Shit…" Keith muttered, reaching down to wrap a hand around his own cock to stroke. "You're so gorgeous, baby, so amazing." 

"So are you." Lance watched his hand, humming appreciatively as he finally pulled the rest of Keith's clothes away. "Eres tan lindo."

Keith smiled up at him, squeezing his shaft to make pre bead from the tip. "You gonna come sit on my face at some point today?" 

"Mmhm. You're just distracting me with the show you're putting on." Lance crawled up, taking Keith's hands to place them on his own hips as he hovered above his face. "I'm not gonna suffocate you like this, am I?" 

"If you do, I couldn't think of a better way to go," he teased, maneuvering Lance down closer. He licked a flat stripe over his hole once he could, smirking at the sound it drew from Lance. "You like it, baby?" 

"O-oh... Oh, yeah. Me encanta." Lance gripped the headboard, thighs quivering and knees pressed against the pillows. "Please..."

"Mmhm. Go ahead and sit. I'll tap you if I need you to let me breathe, okay?" 

"Okay." Lance bit his lip, lowering himself slowly and letting Keith's firm hands guide him. "K-Keith..."

He smiled against his skin, licking him a couple more times to get his muscles to loosen up. "That's it, baby, just feel it," he murmured, and then rolled his tongue so he could press into Lance's entrance. 

Lance cried out, head falling back. Sensation richoted through him, muscles relaxing so Keith could have his way. He whimpered as his tongue worked, the deft muscle exploring his walls and gently stretching his rim. "K-Keith-! Me encanta, mi cielo, qué _rico_ , es perfecto, más, más..."

He'd heard Lance use his Spanish enough recently that he actually knew what the words meant, the pleas making his cock twitch and his heart race. Keith couldn't possibly deny him, one hand leaving a hip and slipping a finger in alongside his tongue to start stretching him further. 

He gasped at the extra stretch, one hand falling to delve into Keith's hair. "Eres perfecto, mi cielo. Te amo, please."

"Mmhm…" Keith knew that Lance wouldn't last very long, but he didn't want him to. He took his finger back, only to slather two with lube, and pressed the digits inside, scissoring them as his tongue continued to tirelessly rub at his walls. 

He still tended to come quickly, but it was definitely because of Keith's skill rather than a lack of experience now. Tongue and digits moved and explored so thoroughly that Lance's thighs trembled and it took everything in him not to push down and really suffocate his boyfriend - his _fiancé_. The realization was a fresh jolt to his system, as impactful as the sensations Keith wrought. Lance tugged his hair as he came, Keith's name a keening sound. 

Keith worked him through it with tongue and fingers, pumping the digits slower and slower until Lance was shuddering. He helped maneuver him back down to straddling his thighs, rubbing his hips comfortingly. "You good, baby?" 

"Uh-huh. The headboard's a mess." But he didn't waste any time, left hand wrapping around Keith's length to start kneading. "And you're so pretty."

" _Fuck_." Keith bucked his hips, trying to get more of Lance's hand. "You- You're gorgeous, touching me like that. You look so pleased with yourself." 

Lance bit his lip, keeping Keith trapped with the lighter, teasing touches. "I am. I want you to fill me up, get me nice and wet."

Keith whined softly. "I will. You're g-gonna be so wet. A-and then I'll eat you out again." 

Lance smiled down at him, stroking slowly and loving his sounds. "I- I want to turn around so you can see. Can I?" 

"God, baby, you can do anything you want."

Lance leaned down to seal their lips together briefly before he turned around. He reached back himself, snapping the thong strap and making himself moan softly. “You’re gonna have to guide me now, mi sol.”

Fuck, he was so gorgeous Keith could hardly stand it. He reached out and snapped the thong again, smirking at the second moan Lance let out, and then grabbed the lube. He slathered his cock in it, coating Lance's entrance with the rest with the strap pulled out of the way, before cupping a hip and guiding him down. "Go as slow as you need, baby. I don't want you to hurt yourself." 

Lance nodded, groaning as Keith's cockhead stretched him. It was a gentle burn, so wet after Keith's tongue and the lube had coated him. He leaned forward a little, fingers digging into the sheets as he pushed back and slowly down, wanting to feel every single inch. "Mi amor," he whined, "eres perfecto. Me encanta."

" _Yes_ , Lance," Keith groaned, gripping Lance's hips tightly. He couldn't tear his eyes away from watching his dick slowly become sheathed in his fiancé's tight little hole, not that he wanted to. "Fuck, you feel so fucking good. So t-tight." 

Lance bit his lip, eyes closing as he took in every bit of pleasure sensation could bring. Keith was so thick, so _right_ inside him and he'd never have anyone else. Lance took every inch, whimpering softly when Keith was fully seated, clenching just to make them both feel even better. "Mi cielo... Keith..."

His grip tightened on Lance's hips, blunt nails biting into his skin as he tried to rock his own hips upward. "L-Lance, please…" 

Lance whined at the little stings, at the wrecked stutter in his lover's voice. He didn't want to tease him, wanted him to feel good and come soon so Lance could get off on his tongue again. He laid a hand on Keith's thigh, stroking gently, and pushed himself up. He nearly lost Keith's cock, but slid right back down in a smooth thrust that he eagerly repeated. Again and again, faster and faster, he rode Keith with loud moans and eager, breathless praise. 

Keith was entranced with the way Lance looked from this angle. Though he couldn't see his face, he knew his fiancé's brows were furrowed in concentration, his lips parted with the sounds that were falling from them. "Lance… Fuck, you look so good riding my dick like this. I love watching your hole swallow me down like you're starving for it." 

"Te necesito," Lance panted, feeling himself harden the longer he went. He sank down, head falling back on a low moan as he circled his hips to just _feel_ how thick Keith was. "Eres p-perfecto," he stuttered and started moving again, thrusts steady and hard and desperate. 

He was getting so close, Lance's clenching around his cock driving him mad as he stared at Lance's ass moving. "F-fuck, I- I'm close, baby." 

Lance nodded, shifting a little to give Keith a good angle to move his own hips. "P-please. I want it, please."

It was just enough room, Keith gripping his hips to stop them and instead bucking his own relentlessly, chasing his release. Their skin slapped together wetly, echoing off the walls and mixing with the moans falling from both of their lips. After a few more thrusts, Keith finally felt the building pressure burst, slamming his hips up as he came. " _Lance_!" 

Lance's outcry echoed him, wordless and desperate, his back arcing finely and his hips pressing down to greedily take every bit. "Ay, qué rico, mi cielo... _Fuck_ , Keith..."

"Mm… Fuck is right," Keith murmured, loosening his hold, but keeping his hands where they were, lightly tracing the bruises he'd left. "God, you're so perfect." 

"Y tú, mi cielo." Lance sighed, slowly relaxing atop him. He was achingly hard still, was so ready for Keith's wicked tongue again, but the break gave his arousal time to relax to tempting tingles instead of fire and his mind swam pleasantly instead of drowned. He loved just feeling full too, would happily stay trapped on Keith's dick as long as he'd let him. "Mm... You feel so good."

"So do you, baby. You _look_ so good. I could get used to this…" 

Lance looked over his shoulder, smiling. "You just like my ass."

Keith chuckled. "I definitely do." His hands started to massage him lightly, pressing fingers much more gently into his skin. "How's your knee?" 

Lance moaned softly, hips shifting just a little to encourage his hands. "M'fine. I can stay on them a little longer."

"Okay. Well, I'm ready whenever you need to move."

"Never. You're so thick."

Keith smiled, pinching a thigh. "I know. Maybe one of these days I'll have you keep my dick warm for me." 

Lance bit his lip, whimper escaping when his hips jerked from the pinch. "Mmhm. I don't really know what that means, but yes."

"Mm…" Keith pinched him again on the other leg just to feel the roll of his hips and hear the whimper again. "It means you would just sit on my cock for a while, like all afternoon. We could watch TV or some movies with you in my lap." 

Lance shuddered. "I... I'd really like that."

"Yeah? I'd really like that too. You'd be a really good cock warmer for me, wouldn't you?" 

Lance nodded, squirming atop him and whimpering at the sensation. "Mmhm. I- I'd be good."

"Fuck…" Keith breathed, reaching farther around to wrap his fingers around Lance's length. "You keep doing that, baby, and I'm gonna get hard again." 

Lance whined, but tried to stay still even though he wanted to buck into his touch. "M-more for you to clean up."

"Mmhm. So why don't you get your pretty little ass back up here so I can get you off again?" 

Lance bit his lip. "Or I can just lean forward like this so I don't lose as much."

"God, you're filthy, aren't you?" Keith squeezed his cock teasingly before letting go of him completely. "We can do that. Hands and knees for me, baby." 

Lance swished his hips one last time to tease them both, moan soft as he lifted up. He could feel the wet spilling from him, his clenching not quite enough to stop it. He pitched himself forward, keeping his ass high and resting his cheek against the bedspread. "K-Keith, please... Soy tu chico bueno."

"Yeah, you are." And he looked so good like this, presenting himself for Keith, his hole stretched and dripping Keith's come. The ring glinted in the light as Keith moved to get to his knees, smiling as he pressed kisses to Lance's ass. "Fuck, you're gorgeous. And you're all mine," he murmured, licking up the trail of jizz that had dripped down Lance's leg. 

Lance whined, eyes squeezing shut. "Soy tuyo. I'm so yours, mi cielo. Forever."

"Forever," Keith agreed, tongue trailing closer to his hole. "That diamond ring on your finger there is proof of that." 

Lance nodded, cheek rubbing against fabric. "Uh-huh. Please... Please, I want- Te necesito, please."

Instead of answering, Keith rolled his tongue and speared it into Lance's entrance, licking his walls and slurping obscenely as he sucked his own come out of him. 

Lance cried out. It was such a filthy sound, such a wicked sensation. He was sensitive after so much attention there, body unsure if it wanted to pull away or push back. His hips moved just a little, pleasured whimpers spilling out as Keith's tongue became both blessing and curse, and it took only a few minutes for him to let go, release spilling over his belly and down to the sheets below. 

Keith worked him through it, but pulled away as soon as he felt Lance twitching, hands massaging his hips. "Good boy," he murmured, pressing light kisses to his back. "That was good, baby." 

"Mmhm. Soy t-tu chico bueno." His knees shifted a little, a sign that he couldn't stay on his injured one much longer, but he loved Keith's soft kisses and gentle touch too much to complain. 

Keith didn't miss the movement, though, sitting back on his heels and tapping Lance's thigh. "Alright, let's get you turned back over and stretch your legs out. And then I'll get us cleaned up." 

Lance's soft groan of protest was ignored and he went easily when Keith guided him onto his back. It did feel better to stretch his legs and he could reach out for his lover from here, sighing happily when Keith leaned down and gave him the kiss he clearly wanted. It was filthy, considering where his mouth had been, and Lance shivered at the uniquely intimate taste on Keith's tongue, then rubbed their brows together and smiled up at him. "Te amo."

Keith smiled softly back down at him, his feelings shining through in his gaze. "Te amo, cariño. I'll love you forever, Lance." 

Lance cupped his cheek, the ring glinting as brightly as his eyes. "Y tú, mi cielo. Forever."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for Henry using more slurs

There were several cars in the long driveway when the blue SUV pulled up. They parked on the side of the road, Lance nervously plucking at his skirt. It was one thing to talk about and make the plans, another to actually enact them. "Are y-you sure we h-have everything?" he asked, far from the first time. 

Keith reached over and took his hand, squeezing gently. "I'm positive, baby. We're prepared." 

"Okay. And... And they deserve this."

"Yes, they do. After all the shit they put you through for how many years? They absolutely deserve this." 

"Okay." Lance looked away from the house to offer a small smile. "Is it okay if I cry about it later anyway?" 

Keith returned the smile, nodding. "Of course, baby. I know you were with them a long time. It can't be easy, but I'll never tell you you can't cry about something." 

"Okay." Lance leaned over for a soft kiss, smile a little brighter as he withdrew. "Let's go. I really want to show off my handsome fiancé."

"Well, what d'you know? I wanna do the same thing." 

Lance giggled, finding it a little easier than expected to get out of the car since he knew he'd have Keith by his side. He took his hand, their fingers lacing as they walked down the driveway. "Now remember: we want to avoid Marcia and Henry as long as possible." Especially Henry. "As soon as they know we're here, we hit play on the videos and we run."

"Definitely. I don't want to get caught up in all that." 

"Mm-mm." But they'd ruin them nonetheless. They didn't bother to knock, slipping in unnoticed. Lance's hand tightened in his fiancé's, nervous to be seen too soon, but he led Keith to the biggest television in the living room, standing next to him while he tucked a cheap flash drive into the USB port. 

And he smiled when their movements caught the attention of one of Marcia's guests. "Oh, Lance? Is that you? Marcia said you were abroad."

"I c-can't imagine why. I've just been at college."

"Yale, yes. My-" 

"Yale?" He laughed as if he thought she was joking, turning to show the emblem of the much smaller college on the back of his new jacket. "No, I go here with my fiancé."

"Fiancé?" They'd attracted more attention from some other party-goers, and Lance's smile brightened as he held out his hand. This required no acting. "Yeah. Keith proposed Friday night. It was so romantic." 

"I thought you were dating Brittney. The Fowler girl."

"Brittney? No." Lance took Keith's hand, leaning into him with a smile, and he could see eyes widening as they realized he was standing there in a skirt, wearing an engagement ring the tattooed, pierced guy next to him had offered. "I'm with Keith."

"Hi, I'm Keith," he supplied, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

Lance giggled, turning to hide the sound in Keith's shoulder. It was such a bad first impression, but he doubted it would've mattered. "At least try to be nice," he teased. 

"Do your parents know about this?" 

"Oh, they don't know about the engagement yet. But they know about Keith." They'd seen him a few times in court now from a nice, safe distance. "They met him right before they were arrested. Oh! Um. Oops. I wasn't supposed to... Never mind. They know him."

More eyes widened, looks exchanged, and one woman broke away to start spreading this new information. Someone else wanted more details. "Arrested?" 

"Oh, no, I'm not supposed to talk about it. Henry thinks fraud charges will look bad on his firm."

A man Lance recognized from Henry's office broke away, pulling out his phone and frantically dialing someone. It was perfect. They were done. "When was this?" someone asked. "Before their trip?" 

"What trip?" he asked innocently, lashes fluttering. "They weren't immediately granted bail so they've been in jail for a while and they keep having to go back for court."

Keith smirked wickedly. "They haven't been very successful in defending themselves. There's too much evidence against them." 

"Oh, Keith." Playing the part of rich boy talking down to brute, Lance laid his fancy ring over Keith's heart. "You're making them sound so bad. They just can't balance their books, that's all."

"They've done more than that," he pointed out, but didn't bother to clarify. 

"Well..." Lance smoothed his skirt, shrug slight. They were ruined no matter what they said now, so leaving them wondering caused much more damage. "We should try to find them. I can't wait to show off my ring some more."

"Mmhm. You know this house better than I do, baby. Lead the way." 

But they couldn't go far, just as Lance hoped. The people who normally ignored Lance were fluttering around him in utter fascination. He unraveled a web of lies with ease, enjoying every uncomfortable look sent their way when Keith would wrap an arm or two around him to hold him close. They didn't dare say anything, not when Lance was letting them draw information out of him. It was a powerful way to feel when all of these people had always made him feel small. It emboldened him, almost made him _want_ to see Henry and Marcia just to flaunt this in their faces. They thought they could hurt him and steal from him in exchange for a roof? Not anymore. 

But he didn't want to be reckless. He didn't want to put himself or Keith in any more danger than need be. So he eventually pressed closer to Keith's side, lifting up to whisper, "I'm ready to go. They're going to hear that we're here any minute."

"Yeah. I'll go ahead and play the USB and we'll bolt," Keith agreed. 

Lance kissed his cheek. "Okay. Thank you for being a perfect bad boy this whole time."

Keith chuckled, squeezing his hip. "Well, it was easy when they deserve it." 

"It... It kind of is." But then his smile froze, the familiar feeling of being watched sending shivers down his back. He huddled closer to Keith, looking up and scanning the room, and his breath backed into his lungs when he saw Marcia striding towards him. The crowd parted and Lance could see a few cell phones lifted and recording. She wouldn't dare embarrass herself in front of her friends, so Lance lifted his chin and swallowed his nerves. 

" _What_ are you doing here?" she hissed quietly, reaching for his arm. 

Keith pulled him closer and out of her reach. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him." 

She pressed her lips together, clearly restraining herself in front of her friends. "He is my son and I'll do as I please. I don't remember inviting _you_ into my home."

Lance bit his lip. "He- It's still my house too even though it's your bail collateral."

"How _dare_ you-" 

"And I thought, as my so-called parents, you should know that I'm engaged." He laid his left hand on Keith's chest, flashing the stunning ring and its pretty round diamond, and Marcia's eyes nearly bugged out of her head in shocked horror. She didn't seem to notice his real dad's watch gleaming on his wrist, restored to its original glory. "And I'm happier than I've _ever_ been living here with either of you."

"You- you little _monster_. How dare you embarrass me like this? See what happens to your real family's things for this. You'll be lucky to get a hold of ashes."

If they hadn't already gotten Lance's family's things, Keith would have held his tongue. It would have been extremely difficult, but they probably wouldn't have had a chance to get them afterwards. "You _bitch_ ," he spat instead, tucking Lance against him. "How the hell could you say something like that?! They suffered a tragic accident and those are his rightful belongings. Where do you get off speaking to him like that?" 

That carried into the crowd, curiosity swelling amongst the onlookers. Lance didn't pay them any mind, attention more on Keith and the way his heart swelled at how readily his fiancé defended him. "Te amo, mi cielo," he murmured, relaxing against him even in the face of Marcia's fury. 

"I'll speak to him exactly how he deserves for being such a hateful, greedy child. He should be _grateful_. Instead, he'll be punished."

Lance held up his hand again, deliberately rattling the watch. "Good luck."

She tensed, staring at him. "Is that...?"

"You can't punish me. And after tonight, I'll never see you outside of a courtroom again. You'll never touch my money, my things, or the family I'm going to have with my beautiful, amazing husband."

Keith smiled just for him, kissing Lance's cheek sweetly. "That's right, baby. We're gonna have a big house with a big family. Because, you know," he teased, turning back to smirk wickedly at Marcia. "I can actually afford it. Unlike you and your lying, stealing, cheating husband." 

"Henry isn't cheating on me," she snapped, forgetting about their audience. 

Lance smiled. "Isn't he? You've met Louise, haven't you?" 

She bristled and Lance had to bite back a gasp when he saw Louise at the refreshment table. He wasn't the only one to see her either, Marcia's sharp inhale wickedly amusing. "Get out of my house."

"Okay. See you in court next month."

Keith smiled, pressing Play on the remote he'd picked up off the end table earlier and where he'd been secretly queuing up the video to play. "Enjoy the show." 

"What _is_ this?" Marcia demanded, unable to get to the TV as others crowded around it. Henry's voice was audible, a young woman's giggles following, and Louise dropped her plate and ran for the kitchen. 

Lance took Keith's hand, pulling him towards the door. "Come on. I know she's going to get Henry."

"Yeah. I don't want to get tangled up with him if we can help it…" 

"Me neither."

Keith followed him easily, letting Lance navigate their path through the crowd of people that had since gathered in the living room, and away from the increasingly disturbing noises from the TV behind them. 

Marcia's screams soon joined the sounds, but it was Henry's name instead of Lance's. His low bellow made Lance walk faster, clinging to Keith's hand as they made a quick exit and started down the driveway. Louise sprinted past them to get to her own car, finding it blocked in, and Lance smothered a giggle against his hand. "This is... This is crazy. I didn't think she'd even be here."

Keith grinned, lifting their joined hands to kiss the back of Lance's. "This worked out so well." 

Lance nodded, only letting Keith's hand go when they reached the car. He looked up when they were both seated and buckled, watching Henry burst out of the door, head swiveling as he so obviously searched for them. Others began to filter out of the party, the few decent people they knew having had more than enough of the spectacle and others just looking for more of a show. Especially when Marcia raced out and began slapping Louise. 

Sighing, Lance turned away from them and held the seat belt while Keith pulled away from the house for good. There was some guilt now, some sorrow. They'd deserved it, but... "It's weird. I feel like... like I've been orphaned twice now."

Keith reached over and took his hand, lacing their fingers. "I know, baby… But you've gone through so much bad with them. You're part of our family now anyway." 

Lance nodded, looking down at their hands. "Did your parents know you were proposing to me?" 

"Well, yeah, I had to explain the charge on the credit card… They were really excited and can't wait to see us at Thanksgiving." 

"They were excited?" 

"Mmhm." Keith squeezed his hand, smiling. "They love you, sweetheart, and are just as happy as I am that I'm marrying you." 

"Can we maybe... C-can we take the perritas and see them today?" 

"Sure, baby. I'll text them when we get home just to make sure they'll be there." 

"Okay." He wanted to be around people who would be happy for them, not trying to manipulate information out of them or threaten them. Somewhere happier. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, baby. We'll have a better night tonight." 

"Mmhm. I like your family."

Keith smiled. "I'm really glad you do. They love you." 

"Mmhm." Lance hoped so. They were very nice to him, but he wasn't sure how far their feelings went when he hadn't spent too much time with them. If they were getting married, though, wouldn't that technically make them Lance's parents? In-laws, but... That was kind of like having parents. So he'd kind of not be an orphan. And he knew with Keith and the friends he'd made that he'd never be alone again, so it was different. He let Keith's hand go so he could drive safely and turned away to gaze out the window. "Do you think they're gonna go up to the safe now? And say we stole stuff from them when we go to our restraining order hearing?" 

"How can they prove that we did? Unless they took pictures beforehand. Plus, it's _your_ stuff, not theirs."

"Yeah." He fiddled with his dad's watch, so happy to have it back and even happier that it was working. "I like our lawyer. She's been really nice." To him, anyway. In court, she was fierce and everything he wanted to be in a courtroom one day. Taking control of the party as he'd done and even talking to Marcia with barely a stutter, had shown him that maybe he could. 

"I like her too. She's ruthless, which is just what we need against the likes of Marcia and Henry."

"Mmhm. Do you think... Do you think I could actually do it? What she does?" 

Keith glanced over with a smile. "Yes, I absolutely do. You would be an amazing lawyer, baby."

"Thank you, mi cielo." He wanted to start looking into more, educating himself before he delved into it. Having firsthand experience in criminal and, soon, civil court was going to come in handy, but he wanted to know more about the actual law himself. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart, with everything that I am. I'm gonna help you as much as I can to get into law school if you want." 

"I don't know how much help my husband is gonna be during an application, but I appreciate it. The law program we have is fine if I don't get into Yale or- or anywhere, I guess. I can try anywhere."

"Anywhere, baby. But I think you could get into Yale."

"Maybe. We'll find out next year."

"Mmhm. Your math grade is getting much better, so that should help." 

"I _might_ squeak out an A, but I'd be happy with the B I have." Lance smiled, reaching for Keith's phone. "Can I turn on music?" 

"Yeah, of course. Oh, and go ahead and text my mom or dad and see if they're there. We can just grab the girls and go." 

"Okay." Keith set his phone up very differently from Lance's, so it took him much longer than it should have to turn on some music and find his contacts. "They're home," he announced once he finally knew. "And they'll make up your room if we want to stay the night."

Keith nodded. "Yeah, let's do it. If you're okay with it, of course." 

"Mmhm. We'll have to get the dogs' stuff packed, but I don't mind staying with them." Even though the thought was a little scary. He'd never stayed over at anyone's house before Keith's. "What are the rules?" 

Keith cocked his head, glancing over at him confusedly. "Rules for what?" 

Lance bit his lip. "Their rules for their house? What am I allowed to do?" 

"Oh." God, Marcia and Henry really fucked up his way of thinking. "Anything you wanna do, baby. There are no rules for my parents' house. I mean, don't break shit, but that's about it." 

"So it's kinda like your house? Our house." 

"Our house, yeah. It's just like that." 

"Okay." Lance smiled, wishing they were out of the car so he could cuddle close. If Havi was there, he'd have something to do with his hands besides hold the seat belt. "I'll try not to break anything."

Keith smiled, reaching across the center console to squeeze his thigh reassuringly. "I know you won't, baby. Just pretend you're home. You should be comfortable there, and my parents are very welcoming." 

"Mmhm. They've been nice to me, they love you, and they like our perritas. I think I'll be okay."

He chuckled, taking his hand back so he could drive more safely. "I think so too." 

Lance smiled, content to watch Keith and listen to the music as they drove. When they arrived home, he happily melted into the hug Keith pulled him into and beamed while they packed for a trip. Kosmo was suspicious immediately, sniffing the bag they shared and following close on Keith's heels as he gathered a few bathroom supplies. But Havi happily pranced after Lance, absolutely clueless about what was happening, and preening when he wrapped her up in her In Training vest. Then she waited patiently by the door while Kosmo continued to roam suspiciously. 

Kosmo wasn't satisfied until her harness came out, Lance smiling while Keith clipped her into it. "She's such a mess."

Keith chuckled, watching as she flung her head back to grab the leash and start tugging on it. "Yeah, she is, but she's cute, so I let it slide." 

Lance smiled, hooking Havi's leash to her harness and vest. She left it where it lay. "Mi princesita buena y mi perrita buena. Te quiero mucho." He scratched them both behind the ears before rising to get the suitcase before Keith could. "Let's go. I don't want your parents to think we got lost."

"They're not gonna think that, baby. They know I know the way there." Keith took a moment to draw him in for a sweet kiss. "You shouldn't worry so much. Marcia and Henry are behind us and my parents would love to have us over. We'll just relax tonight." 

"I- Well, they're not _really_ behind us. We still have court and... and whatever else they might try."

"I know." Keith sighed, kissing his cheek before grabbing the other small bag of dog things. "But we're not thinking about that tonight, okay?" 

"Okay. We won't think about them and... And I'll _try_ not to worry. I've never stayed at someone else's house before. Just yours and that was... That was special so it was easy."

"Well, if you think about it, my parents' house is my house too. Maybe that'll help." 

Only a little, but he didn't want to argue about it. "Okay. But I am ready to go and so's Kosmo."

"She's always ready to go," Keith countered, smiling as he picked up her leash to make her stop messing with it. "But I am too, so let's get on the road." 

"Mmhm."

Lance went easily and happily. He did want to see Keith's parents again. He did want to have a nice night. And he was very much calmed by the puppy in his lap. He stroked her fur, singing along with the radio and chatting happily with Keith until they reached the gated community. Keith punched in a code and Lance fell silent as it crept open. This was _extra_ fancy. 

Keith glanced over with a small smile, nudging him with his elbow. "You okay over there?" 

"Mm... Probably. Is your parents' house big?" 

"It's a decent size, I think. Two stories plus a basement, four bedrooms and four bathrooms. But it's not like huge or anything." 

"It's bigger than our house," he teased. "I thought you wanted to give me the best."

"Oh, I do. I am. I've been looking at a few new places. They're a little bit farther away from this campus, but it's close to Yale. Specifically Yale's law school."

Lance shook his head, smile soft and fond. "Eres dulce. You don't have to do that."

"But I want to," Keith argued lightly, taking a couple of turns down various streets. "I've been thinking about it for a while now anyway. It'll be a longer drive, but the house we're in now is a little old news." 

"For you, it's old news. To me, it's my first real home. And it's my first home with you."

"Oh, yeah… I guess I never really thought of it that way." Keith smiled softly, reaching out once he pulled into the driveway and parked. "Well, we can either stay or move then, it's up to you. But anywhere with you and our girls will be home." 

"I know." Lance took his hand with a smile. "I'd like to stay a little longer. But I love that you're so sure of me making it to Yale that you're already looking for homes there."

"Yeah," Keith agreed, lifting and kissing Lance's hand. "I have a good feeling about it." 

"I have a good feeling about you." Kosmo stuck her head between the seats, nose aiming for Keith's ear to sniff him as if searching for the reason why they were no longer moving, and Lance laughed. "Kosmo only feels impatience."

"She's a brat, but she knows where we are. My parents have gotten her and brought her here a few times." He leaned over and kissed Lance quickly before turning off the ignition. "And I'm ready to go inside and lounge on a couch and do nothing else the rest of the night." 

Lance nodded, smile brightening despite the nerves that were starting to return. It would be okay. His parents liked him and he knew how to behave in someone's house. He still held Havi close when he got out, not arguing when Keith only gave him the smaller bag, and stared up at the house. It was built into a small hill, lifting up in stone and wood paneling. The double doors were pristine white, the window above them enormous. That had to be the second floor. 

But then Keith was guiding him up the path to the front door, breezing in without even knocking, and Lance realized that it was not the second floor. The ceilings rose at least nine feet, and it all just looked so big and airy. He and Havi were wrapped up in a hug before he knew it, but Lance easily relaxed in Krolia's embrace and gave her a smile when she stepped back. "H-hi. Your house is really pretty."

She offered a smile of her own, scratching Havi behind an ear as she spoke. "Thank you, Lance. We are so glad to have you both here this evening." 

He nodded, smiling when Havi lifted into the touch. He set her down to take off her harness and vest, but scooped her right back up. "It's really nice of you to have us. Um. I should take Havi outside. She's used to her doggy door."

"Yes, unfortunately we do not have one of those. Just go straight back through the kitchen and the door is to the left of the dining room." 

"Okay." He almost called Kosmo too, but she was excitedly weaving around Tex and trying to jump up and lick his face. He didn't want to interrupt, so took Havi through the house. It was _so_ nice. Nicer than Marcia and Henry's, really, and it made him a little self-conscious. "We have to be extra good," he whispered to the little Havanese. "So they'll let us come over again."

She yipped softly, wet nose pressing against his chin and making him giggle, and they stepped outside. Minutes later, Kosmo followed in a burst of excited energy. Lance laughed when she weaved through his legs and ran after Havi to play, and looked up at his fiancé with a bright smile. "She really loves it here."

Keith wrapped an arm around his waist, drawing him in close against his side. "She loves it everywhere, I swear. Except the vet. She's not a fan of the vet." 

"Well, doctors can be scary so that's okay." Smiling, Lance bobbed up and kissed his cheek. "I like their house. I'll help you take our bags to our room after the perritas come back in so I can see more of it."

Keith smiled, kissing his temple. "Sounds good. I wanna show you around." 

"I'm looking forward to it."

The whole house was gorgeous. He envied their fireplace, no clue that Keith was filing away all of the things he liked most about the home. It was big for two people, but it still felt cozy. There were pictures on the walls and windows placed in ways that let light stream in no matter the time of day. 

He liked, too, that Keith's bedroom still showed signs of the teenager who had lived there. Rock and roll posters, an old school project from his senior year, a whole corkboard of Mothman research and notes that made him laugh. His own bedroom had had no such touches, no sparks of life, so this was nice to see. It was nice that his parents kept things like this. It was nice to see signs of caring. 

He smiled, perching on the edge of the bed. "Your room's cute."

Keith sucked his teeth. "It's not supposed to be 'cute,' it's 'cool.'" 

Lance giggled. "Uh-huh."

"Oh, shut up," Keith complained good-naturedly, and leapt onto the bed next to him, bringing him down into a hug. 

Lance giggled more, holding on and nuzzling into Keith's neck. "Never. It's a very cute room. Just like you."

Keith laughed, leaning back to cup Lance's cheek, only to draw him in for a kiss. "You're pretty cute too." 

"That just means we're a good couple."

"Mm, I think we're the best couple." 

"I think so too." Lance reached up to play with his hair, smiling when his ring glinted. "Oh, I still have to show this off. Do you think they'll like it?" 

"I hope so. Even if they don't, you do, and that's all that matters to me." 

"I love it. It's beautiful and it means you want me forever."

Keith smiled, nodding and kissing the tip of his nose. "I do want you forever. I'll love you just as long." 

"I'll love you that long too, mi cielo. You've changed my whole life."

"Mmhm, for the better, I hope." Even though he knew he was right. 

"Hm... I have my family's things, freedom, a new pupper and silly doggo, amazing..." His cheeks pinkened despite himself. "Amazing sex, and a very stunning ring on my finger. I think things are maybe a little better."

Keith smiled brightly. "Then I've done my job. Pretty perfectly, I must say." 

"You're so smug." Lance gave his hair a teasing tug, loving his smile. "It's pretty cute."

"Uh-huh. I'm only smug because I know I've got the best fiancé in the world." 

"See, I don't think that's possible because _I_ do."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that 'I do.'" 

"Yeah? You'll hear it on our wedding day."

"Mmhm. I'm really looking forward to it. Our wedding is gonna be amazing." 

"Can we get married in the morning? So we don't have to go all day without seeing each other?" 

Keith chuckled. "Of course we can. I'd really like that, actually. Then we can just leave for our honeymoon that night instead of waiting for the next day." 

"Mmhm. And have our wedding day together."

"Yes, absolutely. I'm really excited." 

Lance giggled. "So am I. I- I want to show your parents now."

Smiling, Keith pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Me too. Let's go find them." 

"Mmhm. And then we can cuddle more in bed later."

"Definitely. I did pack a few bath bombs if you wanna take a bath together too." 

Lance grinned. "You really do know the way right to my heart."

Keith laughed as he rolled out of the bed, reaching out for Lance's hands to tug him up. "Well, you know the way right to mine. We're the perfect match." 

"Do I? I feel like I just... was me and suddenly you said 'I love you.'"

"That's exactly what happened, baby. I fell in love with the real you."

Lance laughed, bobbing up to kiss him. "Eres _muy_ dulce, mi cielo. Te amo mucho."

"I love you too, baby. Now let's go show my parents that ring that proves just how much I do." 

Beaming, Lance followed him down the stairs. Krolia gave her immediate approval and Tex gave it a low whistle. Keith's laugh answered whether or not that was a good reaction, and Lance was absolutely giddy. He felt as though this was what being in a family was like: being loved and accepted for exactly who he was. It was an incredible feeling and he never wanted it to go away. 

They spent most of the evening chatting casually until Tex pulled out a deck of cards and a set of poker chips after learning Lance had never played. "Well, you're about to learn, son."

 _Son_. Maybe he meant nothing by it, but it meant the world to Lance. Every single second with them did and thoughts of Henry and Marcia drifted away as he was immersed. Maybe if he hadn't felt so safe with them, he would've been checking his phone more. It didn't alert because Henry wasn't headed towards the school, but he might've seen he was heading their way before the security system sounded. Lance tensed, gaze shooting to Keith in a panic. 

He shot up as Tex did, glancing towards the door. "What the hell?" 

Lance scurried to his jacket and yanked his old phone from the pocket, fingers shaking as he struggled to pull up the location services but he couldn't. There was an error on his data and he'd been removed. They'd finally shut off his phone. "K-Keith, I don't- It- I c-can't see where they are anymore."

He didn't like the sound of that. "Stay here with mom. We'll go check it out, though I have no idea how they could've figured out how to hack that app again if they did." 

Lance shrugged, feeling helpless and ashamed. How could he have brought so much trouble to these people? Because who else could it be? Who else would be coming to this house? He winced when he heard something crash, but was too scared to go to the window and find out what it was. 

Keith had no such reservations, looking out to see Henry's truck acting as a battering ram to the garage. The door was bent awkwardly and it looked as if he was alone. 

He threw the front door open, tearing outside with his dad hot on his heels. " _Hey_ , you fuckin' _asshole_!" he shrieked, marching up to the truck with no fear and slamming his fist on the window. "What the _fuck_ is your problem?!" 

The window rolled down a crack, Henry's features contorted with rage. He looked unkempt and more than a little insane, ignoring whoever was behind his crash-detecting safety feature as she asked if he was alright and needed an ambulance. Angrily, he switched the program off. "You've got _my_ car, and if you think I'm gonna let you little faggots keep it, you've got another thing coming. Now _move_ before I run your pathetic ass over."

Tex laid a firm hand on Keith's shoulder, the other slipping into his jacket. "Now don't you go threatening my boy or we're gonna have a real problem."

Henry sneered. "I don't need some redneck talking to me like that. I'm sure you left the south because your _son_ is a fucking fudge-packer. Embarrassed you right out of your Bible belt."

Keith growled lowly, trying to step forward but being held firm by his father's grip. " _Fuck you_ ," he spat. "My dad is proud of me, thank you very much. You're just a piece of shit. You _never_ deserved Lance, but you know what you do deserve? Everything that's happening to you right now. Your pathetic life is dissolving away right in front of you, and you have no choice but to watch it go."

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?" Henry made to open the door, even with Keith and Tex standing there, and Tex pulled his son back and drew out his gun. His aim was as steady as his glare. 

"I'd stay in my truck if I were you. My wife has probably already called the cops on you and I can guaran-damn-tee that they'll take you if you got my bullet in you or not 'cause y'all are tresspassin' and threatenin' my son. I have rights and I know 'em."

For his part, Henry did stay in his truck but he revved the engine. "How shocking that some hillbilly would have a gun," he growled, but his attention diverted when there was movement at the door. Sarcasm raced back into shocked fury. "What the _fuck_ are you wearing?! You want to be some little _girl_?!" 

Lance trembled on the doorstep, the old phone held in his shaky grip. "I... N-no."

Keith turned towards the front door, worry overtaking the anger for the moment. "Lance… You should be inside…" 

He wanted to be. Henry terrified him and the sight of a gun trained on him did little to soothe that. "I j-just wanted to give back this phone." He squared his shoulders, fighting the way his body wanted to shake. "I d-don't need it anymore."

Keith sighed softly, but took a step back, reaching out a hand to signal Lance over. "Come on, baby." 

The engine revved again, an obvious threat, but Lance still stepped forward. He watched Henry until he was at Keith's side, pushing the phone into his hand. "Y-your mom called the police," he whispered. 

"Mmhm, I figured," Keith replied just as quietly, swapping the phone into his other hand and lacing their fingers together. "How're you holding up?" 

Not well, but he clung to Keith's hand and burrowed into his side. He was so sorry for bringing him here, however he'd done so. "I..."

The engine revved again, Henry rolling the window down further. "Do you really think we're going to leave you alone now?! You humiliated us in our own fucking house, you spic! We _never_ should've kept you!" 

And Lance only made a sound, soft and shattered. 

It tore Keith apart, more than the rage filling him at Henry's words. He squeezed Lance's hand, mostly in reassurance, but also to keep himself from hauling off and punching the asshole right in his throat. "Well, you're definitely not now. _I'm_ keeping him and I'm going to do everything and anything I can to make sure that you or your disgusting wife never see him ever again." 

"Now, Keith, calm down. I happen to think the man's right. He never should've kept him." Tex's tone was calm, but his gun was still out and aimed steady. "Y'all treated Lance in ways he didn't deserve and y'all are _still_ tryin' it. So y'all shouldn't'a kept him. You didn't deserve him, but you do deserve the jail sentence you're gonna get once I'm through with you. Destruction of private property, tresspassin', threats... I can keep on goin'."

He looked back briefly when the sirens could be heard and waved them both away. "Go on inside. Both y'all. And, Lance, don't you cry over this fool. You're our boy now."

He sniffled anyway, awed to be protected and claimed so easily. He really was part of their family. 

Keith let go of his hand to wrap his arm around Lance's waist, tossing the old phone to the ground near the truck's tire. "Take your shit back and leave us alone." 

As the sirens grew louder, Tex tucked his gun away to avoid any confusion and Henry revved his engine again. This time, it was to flee. He pulled out of their driveway and shot down the street, his bumper hanging on by a thread and his rear lights shattered. They left a trail of red and white plastic as he drove wildly down the street, tires squealing, and one cop car followed him and the other parked and started walking up the driveway, his partner snapping pictures of the broken taillight pieces. 

"Hello there. Having a little incident this afternoon?" 

And it was all a blur for Lance from there. Tex got him inside, sitting him down and bundling him up in a blanket and Keith's arms. Krolia handed him a hot chocolate to warm his hands and Havi to warm his heart. Then they spoke to the police. It was their property, so they would be pressing charges. He and Keith were just witnesses, though it went a level deeper when Keith let the officers know that they were in the process of getting a restraining order.

They could only wait until the officers asked one of them to come outside and identify Henry, trapped in the backseat of a police car. His truck would be getting towed as he was on his way to jail. Add fleeing the scene of a crime and resisting arrest to his charges and he was well and truly screwed. 

"I... I want to identify him," Lance offered. 

Keith squeezed him gently. "You sure, baby?" 

"Mmhm. He... He didn't take his stupid phone and I... I stood up to Marcia. I want to stand up to Henry too."

Smiling softly, Keith leaned in to kiss his temple. "Okay. You want me to come with you?" 

"Yes."

"Alright, baby. Let's go. I'll be right there with you through it." 

Lance nodded, clinging to his hand as the officer led them out. He plucked up the phone as they went by, knowing he wouldn't be able to give it to Henry directly. He'd at least have it with one of the officers and it would be away from Lance. They'd never really wanted _him_. These people did. 

"Can I talk to him?" Lance wondered. "Technically, he's still my parent."

"Of course. Just be careful and we'll stay a safe distance away. He's already been given his rights."

Lance nodded, stopping when the cop stopped him. They swung open the back door and Henry sneered. He wasn't very threatening with handcuffs behind his back, so Lance lifted his chin. "That's him. How did you find us here, Henry?"

"None of your fucking business."

Lance nearly bit his lip and left it at that, but he held up his phone. "Was it this?" 

"No. We turned that off. Cut off your plan so you wouldn't be able to call your faggot boyfriend."

"Don't call him names," Lance snapped. "He's _mine_ and you can't talk to him like that. Is there something in the Mercedes?" 

Henry hesitated and Lance nodded. That was answer enough for him. Maybe the GPS system was connected to their phones somehow or other. "Where's Marcia?" 

There was another hesitation. "Home."

"She kicked you out," Lance realized, biting his lip to keep his smile at bay. Justice. He had some justice. "Okay. Well, next time you see her, be sure to thank her for me. I don't know if you've realized yet, but this is Keith Kogane." Recognition and shock passed over his features. "Yes, _that_ Keith. He's been a great math tutor for me, and I'm so glad you and Marcia made me call him. He's done so much for me."

Henry bellowed in wordless rage and had to be forcibly pushed back into the car so it could be shut again and Lance was satisfied. "This is his, officer." He offered the phone to the officer and felt a final connection break. "Are we good to go inside now?" 

"You can." He smiled at Keith. "As I told your father, we'll keep in touch as needed. You have my information if you need further testimony during your restraining order hearing, but I think you'll be just fine. Have a good night."

"Thanks, officer. You too," Keith replied, purposely not looking at Henry as he turned Lance to head back inside. "You okay?" he asked softly, rubbing his hip. 

"Mmhm. I don't... I was wrong earlier. When I said this was like being orphaned twice? It's not. It's... It's like going from foster care to a real home. A real family. So I think I'm okay."

Keith kissed his cheek with a small smile. "Good. 'Cause you are part of a real family now. And we're gonna have one of our own too eventually." 

"Eventually," Lance agreed, stepping back into the house and scooping up his little Havi. Kosmo circled them happily and Lance couldn't help but smile. He drew Keith in for a firm kiss, so in love with him and so ready for their future. "Te amo, mi cielo."

"Te amo, baby," Keith murmured, stealing another lighter kiss. "I'm glad you're here with me." 

"So am I."

And he would be for the rest of his life, he just knew it. He'd never have to cry on his birthday again. He'd never be alone again. And neither would Keith. What could possibly be better? 


	16. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's really short, but I didn't want to post this the same day as the last chapter and take away from the exciting action of them finally taking control.
> 
> This chapter takes place like 6 years in the future.

Havi sat beside him on the elevator, a bright blue bow in her fur and a little service dog vest over her harness. Lance smiled down at her, wearing glasses he actually liked. They were slim instead of huge and round and awkward. And Keith liked them.

His husband liked them. 

Lance grinned when the elevator opened, stepping into their living room. The two-floor condo down the street from Yale Law School was a perfect little home for them while Lance finished his degree. While their pets no longer had a dog door, Keith worked an accounting business from home so was with Kosmo all day. Havi was with Lance in classes, so it mattered little. When they had a real house again, though, they'd definitely add the dog door back for their girls. 

Lance set his backpack down, finished for the day and very excited about what that meant. His cap and gown were already in the closet, just waiting to be worn. He crouched down and removed Havi's harness and vest, exchanging them for a treat for another day done. He didn't have panic attacks nearly as much anymore, especially with her around, despite the difficulty in his classes and the way some of his older professors looked down on him for being a little different. The head of his department saw him as inspirational and had asked Lance for something that afternoon that had made him late getting home. 

It only added to his excitement. He looked up when he heard nails clicking on the floor, laughing when Kosmo raced up and licked his face. His arms wound around her as he sat on the floor, knowing his husband wouldn't be far behind. 

Keith wasn't far behind at all, trailing after the German shepherd and leaning a hip against the wall, smiling down at his husband. "Hey, baby. You're later than usual today."

"Mmhm. I had a busy day and my department head wanted to talk to me."

"Oh yeah? What about? Something good, I hope." 

"Mmhm. I think so. But how was your day? Did you and Kosmo have fun?" 

"As much fun as we could have at work," Keith teased.

"Well, you're only mostly at work." Lance smiled, rising to wander closer and wrap his arms around Keith's neck. And someone had had to snag Henry's old clients. His business had quickly gone under with him in jail, though neither of them had any idea if he was still there or if Marcia was in one at all. They only knew that Lance was completely free of them. They were still an occasional thought, a nightmare once or twice a month when classes got too stressful or when his brain decided he'd been happy too many days in a row. But things were better for him in every way. "Did you miss me?" 

Keith smiled, his arms winding around Lance's waist and drawing him in for a kiss. "Always."

Lance grinned, bright and playful. "Do you love me?" 

"Forever, baby. Do you love me?" he teased. 

"Mm... Kiss me again. I don't remember."

Keith laughed, covering Lance's lips with his own again. "How 'bout now?" 

"Almost there."

"You're killin' me here, sweetheart," Keith complained, but was smiling as he kissed him again, longer and deeper this time. 

Lance melted against him, letting the kiss seep into and heal every crack a long day put in his being. Years together hadn't dulled his love a bit. "Okay," he sighed, "I love you. I definitely love you."

Keith chuckled, squeezing him gently and rubbing their noses together. "So you gonna tell me what your department head wanted?" 

Lance giggled, hips swaying as he pressed himself closer. Behind his frames, his eyes were bright with excitement. "Well, certain students get to make speeches at graduation. Very select, special students. She told me that she usually picks the smartest or the most inspirational graduate and this year, she said, she was very excited to be able to ask someone who's _both_. So... guess who that was."

Keith beamed, lifting him easily and twirling him in the air. "Really? Does that mean you're valedictorian?"

"Yes! I get a special commencement scroll and _everything_!" Lance smiled down at him, thrilled giggles spilling out. "I did it, Keith!" 

"You _did_ and it's _amazing_! I'm so proud of you, baby. We need to celebrate!" 

Lance cupped his cheek. "Do you think we can go back up to New York? Spend the whole weekend this time?" 

"Yes, absolutely." Keith set him back down so he could kiss him again, firm and excited. "How about a week? I'll get us a room at a nice hotel midtown and we can go anywhere and do anything we want." 

Ever sweet in not wanting to disrupt someone else's life, Lance bit his lip. He wanted to, but... "It's tax season. Are you too busy for a whole week?" 

Keith sighed gustily. "You're right. Damn taxes. How about after? We'll take the weekend for now and take a whole week later." 

"Yes. One to celebrate the news. The other to celebrate actual graduation. And then I get to _really_ study for the bar." He shook his head. "I don't even want to think about that yet."

"Then don't," Keith reasoned. "I can always distract you." 

"Mmhm. I know you can. I have a very distracting, gorgeous husband." Lance ran a finger along Keith's eyebrow, gently brushing over the piercing. He loved that he still had it. Being an accountant didn't require business suits and a loss of individuality. Keith was proof enough of that. "I love that you're my husband."

Keith smiled, rubbing their noses together. "And I love that you're my husband. I love that you married me." 

"I'd do it again too." Lance kissed him, soft and fond. "But thank you for believing in me, mi cielo, and helping me get to this point. If I'd ever gotten my freedom on my own, it couldn't possibly have been as good as this. So thank you."

"You're welcome, baby. I'm never gonna stop supporting you. I'll always be there." 

"I know." They'd said as much during their vows, Lance's eyes shining with happy tears the whole time and Keith reaching up to cup his cheek and brush them away. One of his favorite pictures, hanging on the wall nearby, showed just that. Gone were Lance's days of not having photos around, of not having personal touches and things that were just special to him and his partner. 

Keith grinned. "Well, did you have a place in mind to go while we're in the city, Mr. Valedictorian?" 

"Well... I know I want a fancy hotel room with an amazing view. Because if it's us celebrating, I know we'll be awake in our room for a while." He grinned wickedly. "And I know I want to go to Times Square and walk around and just explore. We didn't really explore last time. We went to the fancy restaurant and then we went to bed. Which was a lot of fun, but I want a little more this time."

"Me too. We'll definitely spend some time in bed, though. And I'll make sure to get a really nice room with an awesome view and a big bathtub so we can soak." 

Lance laughed. "For a guy who didn't used to like baths, you sure do go out of your way to find them."

"Hey, _you_ like them, and that's all that matters. Plus, they've grown on me." 

Because he liked to cuddle. Smiling, Lance lifted a leg and wound it around Keith's waist. It was enough to have Keith's grip shifting, so strong and sure on him and hiking him up so both legs were wrapped. Lance loved to be carried, giggling when Keith squeezed his ass. He never tired of any of it. Neither of them did. 

They were both happy and excited to see the ways their lives were continuing to change together. The way they and their family would grow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and thanks to all those who took the time to comment! Your support really means a lot to us. 😍
> 
> This story was really fun to write and we definitely have other things in the works after this, so stay tuned!
> 
> Also, I really really wanted to share with you guys our notes when we were planning this story because they still make me laugh:
> 
> S: And maybe instead of Lance's big supportive family, he's been raised by a strict foster family? That would temper his normal confidence into something shy and nerdy, lol.  
> S: And we could just make this one short. 3 or 4 chapters? Lol  
> A: Pfft, if you think we could get away with that lol  
> S: Lmao, probably? Maybe? Lol
> 
> S: Lance's backstory:  
> Family dies in car crash when he was a baby; he's the only survivor and it's given him issues with his eyes (hence glasses)  
> Goes through a few foster homes, almost adopted at age 7 but it falls through  
> The straight couple (Marcia and Henry) who finally adopts him at 10 is extremely strict and intolerant of Lance's struggles with math and his eventual bi/pansexuality  
> He's only allowed to go to a local college, only an hour away so his parents can come check on him frequently to make sure he doesn't do something stupid like fall in love with a hot tattooed biker boy with a ponytail and piercings  
> Hunk is his roommate 💛
> 
> S: Keith should be his math tutor >.> Like that's how they meet, lol  
> A: Yes.  
> A: Also,this ain't gonna be 3 or 4 chapters lol. But we could at least make it less than 10  
> S: Lmfao, yeah


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